Social insulation, self-complexity, and social attraction: A theory chain

In a theory chain extending Byrne's theory of social attraction, links are described between breadth of social interaction and complexity of the self-concept as well as between complexity of the self-concept and social attraction. In the first series of studies, it was shown that communication-handicapped adolescents and physically handicapped children, as well as terminally ill patients, indicate lower self-complexity. In a second series of studies, it was found that persons with more complex self-concepts identify more closely with others, perceive themselves as more similar to objectively dissimilar others, and are more popular sociometrically.