An experimental study of the photoinduced molecular reorientation of dyed liquid crystals for a set of guest-host combinations is reported. We find large variations in the magnitude of the effect for different dyes but also for different hosts, with polar hosts resulting often significantly more effective than nonpolar ones. The data are interpreted in terms of a kinetic mean-field model for the dye molecule rotational dynamics and interaction with the liquid crystal host. The results point to a significant variation of guest-host intermolecular forces upon photoinduced electronic excitation of dye molecules. This force variation is reflected in a variation of dye molecule physical parameters such as the rotational friction coefficient and the orientational mean-field energy. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-9606(97)51647-3] .