I Think You Might Like Me: Emergence and Change of Meta-Liking in Initial Social Interactions

Feeling accepted by others is a fundamental human motive and an important marker of successful social interactions. This interpersonal perception, known as meta-liking, is especially relevant during adolescence when peer relationships deepen and expand. However, knowledge is limited regarding meta-liking formation in initial social interactions. This study investigated whether adolescents (N = 293, Mage = 15.48, 61.10% female) have default expectations for meta-liking at zero-acquaintance and how these judgments are updated during initial group interactions. Specifically, we used latent change models to examine how personality traits predicted initial meta-liking and whether personality and social interaction experiences were linked to changes in meta-liking judgments throughout an interaction. Our findings revealed three key insights: First, meta-liking increased gradually over the course of the interaction, with substantial individual differences in both default meta-liking and change scores. Second, extraversion, neuroticism, and self-esteem predicted initial meta-liking. Third, liking others was also linked to initial meta-liking and early changes, while meta-liking changes toward the end of the interaction occurred independent of all these features and were not predicted by expressive behaviors of interaction partners. This study represents a first empirical test of default expectations and updates in meta-liking based on personality characteristics and social interaction experiences in initial social interactions. We discuss our results in terms of a broader framework for understanding how metaperceptions are formed and updated early in the acquaintance process.