You hear that although William doesn't like you that much, James does. Then you hear that William has changed his mind and thinks you are wonderful! You decide that you like William more than James. In simple terms, this phenomenon is called the:

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The gain-loss hypothesis suggests that increases in positive evaluations from others are more impactful and lead to greater liking than consistently positive evaluations. In this scenario, William's change from disliking to liking you makes you favor him more than James, who consistently liked you, illustrating the gain-loss effect.

You Hear That Although William Doesn't Like You That Much