Changing perceptions of a dating partner

Changing the perceptions one person has of another could be very useful in counseling and clinical settings. The purpose of this study was to determine if through additional information (i.e., information similar to that received through therapy) college students would change their perception of a partner in an analogue dating relationship. Results indicated that the perception change strategies caused male subjects to refrain from making more positive, extreme, or confident attributions about the fictitious person. Female subjects, however, made more positive attributions about their partner as a result of the perception change strategies. Directions for future research are discussed.