Factors That Influence Liking

There are several factors that can influence how much we like someone. These factors can be used to increase the chances that someone will comply with our requests.

Physical Attractiveness

We tend to automatically assign favorable traits such as talent, kindness, honesty, and intelligence to good-looking individuals. This is known as the "halo effect." This happens without our conscious awareness, and it can have a significant impact on our behavior.

Similarity

We like people who are similar to us. This can be in the area of opinions, personality traits, background, or lifestyle. This is why salespeople often try to find common ground with potential customers.

Compliments

We are more likely to like people who compliment us. This is true even when we know the compliments are not sincere.

Contact and Cooperation

We are more likely to like people who we have had positive contact with. This is especially true when we have worked together to achieve a common goal. This is why team-building exercises are so effective.

Conditioning and Association

We can come to like or dislike something simply because it is associated with something else that we like or dislike. For example, we are more likely to like a product if it is endorsed by a celebrity that we admire. This is known as the "halo effect."