The Enemy of my Friend is Easy to Remember: Balance as a Compression Heuristic

• In Event: 142 - Regular Session. Group Processes

Abstract

Balance Theory has accumulated an impressive record of empirical confirmation at both the micro- and macro-levels. Yet, it is unclear why humans consistently prefer balanced relations when imbalance offers the opportunity to reap material rewards. We argue that balance is preferred because it functions as a “compression heuristic,” allowing networks to be more easily encoded in, and recalled from, memory. We present the results of a novel randomized laboratory experiment showing that memory for relationship valence is more accurate for balanced, rather than imbalanced, networks and that relationship existence and relationship valence are separable cognitive elements. We also present suggestive evidence that humans are implicitly aware of the conditions under which imbalanced networks will be most durable.

Authors

• Laura Aufderheide Brashears, University of South Carolina

• Matthew E. Brashears, University of South Carolina-Columbia