Resource appraisals among self, friend and leader: Implications for an evolutionary perspective on individual differences

The study was designed to illustrate an evolutionary approach to individual differences and friendship choice. Individual differences in personality and other trait dimensions are conceptualized as resource environments for individuals. Individuals are expected to evaluate this variation differently depending on a variety of variables and the present study evaluated the following: 1. (1) the putative role of the person being evaluated as ideal friend or ideal leader;2. (2) subjectʹs status as males or females;3. (3) similarity to self. 372 subjects (279 females) completed the EAS Adult Temperament Survey and the Resource Appraisal Survey (RAS) for themselves, an ideal friend and an ideal leader. The combined EAS and RAS were factor analysed for males and females separately for 11 a priori factors (5 EAS, 6 RAS) using Principal Component Analysis with varimax rotation. The results generally yielded a rationally interpretable, robust set of factors. ANOVA results on these factors indicated evolutionarily predicted sex differences, particularly with regard to the Intimacy/Warmth dimension. Females scored themselves higher on Intimacy/Warmth than males and rated this characteristic as more important in an ideal friend and an ideal leader than did males. In general, ideal leaders were expected to be higher than ideal friends in scales intended to tap variation in physical attractiveness, intelligence, conscientiousness, activity and sociability and lower in emotionality and disabilities—traits which may well be important in a leader; ideal friends, on the other hand were expected to be higher than prospective leaders in athletic ability and Intimacy/Warmth—traits which are presumably more important for a successful friendship.