In Dutton and Aron's (1974) experiment, what was the setting that influenced participants' responses to the female experimenter?

The setting of the experiment was crucial in influencing participants' responses, particularly in terms of their emotional state and subsequent behavior. In Dutton and Aron’s study, the researchers created an environment that was potentially anxiety-inducing, utilizing a scary bridge that was high and shaky. This setting elicited feelings of fear and arousal among the male participants as they crossed the bridge.

The key aspect of their findings was related to the concept of misattribution of arousal, where individuals might attribute their physiological responses—like increased heart rate or heightened emotions—to the presence of an attractive individual (the female experimenter) rather than the actual source of that arousal (the fear of crossing the bridge). As a result, men who encountered the female experimenter immediately after crossing the scary bridge were more likely to interpret their heightened arousal as attraction, leading to more flirtatious or open responses compared to those who encountered her in a less arousing context. This highlights the role of environmental factors in shaping social interactions and perceptions of attraction.