Significant Others Affect Self-other Overlap:More Important Or Closer

" Human beings are born social animals." On the account of human’s sociality, People can not live alone out of the group. We are influenced by others now and then, some of them are significant others who are big impact in our lives. Therefore we and significant others are more similar or "overlapped". This research is seeking to examine the effect of significant others on self-other overlap under the background of Chinese culture. Specifically, study1examined how significant others affect self-other overlap, compared with acquaintance. Study2aimed to explore the effect of different kinds of significant others on self-over overlap.Study1adopted one factor within-subjects design, with the types of others (significant others vs. acquaintance) as an independent variable and IOS, Euclidean distance as a dependent variable.65college students (39females, average age19.3) participated this study. They are instructed to recall a significant others and acquaintance respectively, and then to assess IOS and16pairs of traits adjective of them and self.16pairs of traits were measured on9-point scales, ranging from1(not at all) to9(very much), while IOS were assessed on7-point scales. Consequently, when significant others were activated, participated reported higher level of IOS scores and less Euclidean distance than when were acquaintance.In study2,221college students (162females, average age19.9) were randomly assigned to4conditions(kinds of significant others: mother/father vs. same sex friend vs. opposite sex friend vs. lover), between subjects design. They are asked to recall three experiences with significant other, and then to assess IOS, importance, closeness and16pairs of traits adjective of significant other and self as well. As a result, there was on significant different among every conditions. Further Mediation analysis revealed that closeness partial mediate importance effect on self-other overlap.All in all, it is suggested that comparing with acquaintance, significant others leads higher level of IOS and lower level of Euclidean distance. Effect of importance on self-other overlap is partial mediated by closeness.