One overlooked aspect of heterosocial skills is the selection of appropriate goal objects or partners. The tenet of interpersonal attraction that "like attracts like" suggests that individuals could maximize gains by avoiding dissimilar others. Recent findings suggest that variables relating to lifestyle and sensation seeking are more influential…

In a dating decision-making experiment, subjects rated those potential partners more favorably who were more physically attractive and had higher social status. Female subjects ratings of potential partners were significantly lower than those of male subjects. (Author)

Recruiters (N=24) interviewed 91 students to explore factors recruiters use to assess applicants' interviewing skills and suitability for hire. Results indicated that recruiters relied on impressionistic rather than concrete information (e.g., academic achievement and work experience) in making employment recommendations. (NRB)

Previous research on friendship selection has failed to focus on how the selection process changes with age or in differently organized environments. This review of the literature takes a life-course perspective on the selection of friends, charting research results on three aspects of the selection process: (1) the number of friends and their…