How the adoption of impression management goals alters impression formation

Five experiments (N = 390) tested the hypothesis that adopting an impression management goal leads the impression manager to view an interaction partner as having less of the trait he or she is attempting to express. This hypothesis was confirmed for the impression management goals of appearing introverted, extraverted, smart, confident, and happy. Experiment 2 shows that adoption of the impression goal could alter judgments even when participants could not act on the goal. Experiment 3 provides evidence that adopting an impression management goal prompted a comparison mind-set and that this comparison mind-set activation mediated target judgments. Experiment 4 rules out a potential alternative explanation and provides more direct evidence that comparison of the impression manager's self-concept mediates the impression of the target. Experiment 5 eliminates a potential confound and extends the effect to another impression goal. These experiments highlight the dynamic interplay between impression management and impression formation.     

Interpersonal distance and impression formation

Impression formation was examined as a function of interpersonal physical distance in an interview. It was predicted that a confederate would be rated less socially active as the distance between him and the subject increased. The hypothesis was supported by a significant negative linear trend in the composite ratings of friendliness, aggressiveness, extraversion, and dominance A variation in this trend, indicating that confederates seated closest to the subject were seen as less socially active, was explained in terms of compensatory behaviors minimizing the effect of close physical proximity     

Self-actualization and impression formation1

Self-actualization (SA), assessed by scores on the Personal Orientation Inventory, was related to interpersonal behavior in two person perception experiments. SA moderated both personality impression ratings of stimulus persons presented singly and person preference choices in a paired comparisons paradigm. In general, self-actualized individuals were found to be more extreme in their responses to social stimuli than were non-self-actualized individuals. Results were discussed in terms of previous attempts to assess the relationship between SA and cognitive processing.     

Alcohol self‐presentation: the role of impression motivation and impression construction

Two studies examined impression motivation (IM) and impression construction (IC) processes in college freshman alcohol use. In both studies, students completed individual difference measures related to IM and alcohol IC. In Study 1 (n = 232), participants were assigned to IM (low vs. high) and IC (alcohol vs. control) conditions and then created a personal profile. In Study 2 (n = 65), participants reported levels of IM and alcohol IC, and number of drinks during each evening's social interactions for 3 weeks. Situational alcohol IC was positively related to whether participants presented themselves as an alcohol user in their profile (Study 1) and in the amount they drank (Study 2). In Study 2, the association between IC and drinking was moderated by IM.     

Distributional theories of impression formation

This paper examines theories of impression formation which represent stimulus information as distributions on subjective dimensions rather than points along a continuum. These theories explain why unfavorable information often overrides favorable information. Subjects were asked to imagine hypothetical persons described by single adjectives or adjective combinations and to estimate the probability that each person would have various degrees of likeableness. Three models were considered to describe how the likeableness distribution for the adjective combination depends on the distributions of the single adjectives. All three models assume that the mean of the distribution for the adjective combination is described by the equal probability criterion which, for symmetric distributions, implies a weighted average of the single adjective means with weights inversely proportional to their standard deviations. The models can be distinguished on the basis of the standard deviations of the adjective combinations. Estimated standard deviations of the single unfavorable adjectives were smaller than those for the single favorable adjectives. Furthermore, the standard deviation associated with an adjective combination tended to fall between the standard deviations of the single adjectives, consistent with the horizontal averaging model.     

Extrinsic value orientation and "the tragedy of the commons"

Two studies examined the effect of Extrinsic Value Orientation (Kasser & Ryan, 1993, 1996) upon harvesting strategies and personal profit within commons dilemmas, in which individual and group interests can be at odds. At an individual or within-group level of analysis, extrinsically oriented persons (who value money, fame, and popularity) harvested more than intrinsically oriented persons (who value self-acceptance, intimacy, and community). However, a counteracting group-level effect was found such that groups with a greater number of extrinsic members harvested less on average than did groups with more intrinsic members, because their commons did not last as long. As a result, even excessive harvesters within extrinsic groups did no better than did self-restrained harvesters within intrinsic groups. Supplementary analyses indicate that extrinsic values are associated with acquisitiveness regarding resources, more so than apprehension regarding others' acquisitiveness.     

勒维纳斯对"源印象"的批判

"源印象"(Ur-impression)是胡塞尔用以研讨内时间和内知觉意识以及自我问题的关键词.他在多处表达了同一个观念:在意识能够清晰地意识到印象之前,已经存在着是一个原始的作为内(时间)意识之由来的源印象.它是构造诸当下意识的源点和开端,因此它是在意识构造而不是被构造的更原初的层面上的发生点.而正是它不断地生产构造着内在意识才使得我们具有连续性的内时间流逝模式.     

A first impression of the future

We offer a response to six commentaries on our target article ‘Understanding trait impressions from faces’. A broad consensus emerged with authors emphasizing the importance of increasing the diversity of faces and participants, integrating research on impressions beyond the face, and continuing to develop methods needed for data-driven approaches. We propose future directions for the field based on these themes.     

Three weighting criteria in impression formation

When several items of information are combined to give an overall judgement, it is usually found that some kinds of item are given greater weight than others. This study examines the relations between three criteria which judges may use in deciding how to apportion these weights. The criteria of evaluative direction and extremity have of ten been studied within impression formation, while demonstrations of the influence of ambiguity have produced unclear findings. Simple models of the combination of these three criteria are shown to be inadequate and a more complex account is suggested. A study is reported in which divergence between the criteria of extremity and ambiguity results in a generally greater bias to negative. This effect is related to other studies of the influence of inconsistency, and range adjustment model of the judgement process is extended to take it into account.     

An adding result in impression formation

Ss were presented with a highly polarized piece of information, followed by a same-signed moderately polarized piece of information, and were asked whether the second piece of information led them to like the person describedmore, less, or just the same. The obtained percentage ofadding responses was 65%; that is, most of the responses indicated that Ss impression of the person described became more polarized following addition of moderately polarized information (p <.001). More adding was obtained for negatively than for positively evaluated adjectives (p <.05).     

Commentary on "Quantifying the value of human life

...In his article, "Quantifying the value of human life for cost accounting of safeguards," L. Eugene Arnold proposes a cost-benefit analysis to address three allocation issues concerning the very expensive program of blood monitoring proposed by Sandoz at the time it placed Clozaril...on the American market....It is important to realize that the use of seemingly value-free procedures to arrive at answers to ethically complex questions does not eliminate the values that underlie the choice of variables to be analyzed. The analyses employed by the author to three ethical questions illustrate this point very well....