Assessing Gender Differences in Sociability towards Strangers over Time Using the Interaction Rating Scale Advanced (IRSA)

The purpose of this study was to identify gender differences in sociability towards a stranger over time using the Interaction Rating Scale Advanced (IRSA) as a context-based practical index of social relationships. Participants were 44 adults who completed three 5-minute interaction sessions, during which they were observed and assessed using the IRSA. Results indicated that all IRSA scores had increased by the third session compared to the first, but that different patterns emerged between genders with respect to changing their behavior towards a stranger over time. Males changed their sociability-related behavior more than did females after they became familiar with the partner. Our results indicate that the IRSA sensitively measures social competence over time, and as such can be used to evaluate changes in sociability.