8/22 History of Social Perception and Impressions Flashcards
What is the big thing that matters in perception? Name 3 examples.
Context.
Examples:
1. Ebing house illusions: both circules are the same size, but the circles that surround them cause them to be percieved as different sizes
2. B or 13 sensory input
3. H or A with opening at the top that converges
Asch (1948): People agree with the statement rebellion is good more when what happens and why?
Attributed to Jefferson no Lenin. Not prestige that changed, but “rebellion” does not have the same association between these two men. Change in object or judgement, not the judgement of the object
Bruner (1957) Perceptual Readiness.
What did he say perception = ?
Is this is deliberate process ? How does it happen?
Categorization
Formerly, perception, sensory, just noticeable differences.
Now looking at decision process. Perceiver decides that a thing perceived is one thing and not another. X OR Y.
Not deliberate. Happens in terms of abundant and reliable cues
Bruner (1957) perceptual readiness says that perceptual process is the same, whether input is presented clearly or less optimal. What is the difference then? What is the line between judgment and perception.
Degree. Cues more abundant when optimal conditions.
The line between perception and judgment is arbitrary. Often perception is judgment, we don’t realize it.
Bruner (1957): All about accessibility of categories.
The more accessible a category…
The less input needed to identify it (identified easily and swiftly recognized). More accessibility = less sensory input needed.
Wider range of input characteristics accepted as “fitting” the category in question. Wider range of objects will be identified (or misidentified) as the accessible catgeory. More objects identified as baseballs in stadium context.
The likelihood of sensory input being categorized in a given way depends on what?
What does accessbility itself depend on?
The fit between sensory input and category specificiations
Accessiblity. If goodness of fit in both categories equal, which is more accessible?
Accessbility depends on
1. Frequency (more frequently instances of given category occur in context, greater accessbility, prior learning and expectations).
2. Recency of activation (once activated, category remains more accessible thereafter)
3. Needs and wishes: example, does captial punishment deter crime?
Which is supported over time: vigilance or perceptual defects?
Vigilance: scared of something, see water hose as snake
Perceptual defects not supported. Those who hate snakes fail to see them? nope.
Line between judgement and perception: where is the line?
Attitudes bias us in informationally rich events (big scandals, sporting events)
Informationally sparse events get closer to perception
The even is informationally sparse. How does attitude bias us (Powell & Fazio 1994)?
Tennis game: in or out of bounds? You be the judge but the twist is you either really like or hate the person playing.
Fewer errors and quicker responses(?) when the correct call is clear.
This is the one with the obvious confederates
According to Bruner, category accessiblity does what two things?
Readies one to percieve event that fits category (faster latency to correctly detect location when it matches the hope)
Widens range of input characteristics that will be accepted as fitting the category (more errors that match attitudinally driven hopes)
Results of the Tennis Experiment in Latency and Error Rates
Faster for Ball in (confed if nice confed/Opp if rude confed)
Faster for Ball out (opp if nice confed/confed if rude confed).
Error Rates:
More errors when confederate hits ball “out but call in” Weird graph.
Balcetis & Dunning (2006) B vs. 13 experiment
Taste perception, get them to want a choice. Letter = juice, number = smoothie. No one bother to lie when B or 13 was unquestionable. Seal/donkey. See what you hope for.
BAT Sequence experiment
SUDS ratings for people scared of spiders
Diagnosed through clinic interview. If criteria met, participate in exposure therapy.
Behavioral approach test (BAT)
Stick and pencil guide the spider.
Measure ratio of estimate/actual spider size to peak SUDS rating for post-treatment BATs
Fear of Spiders Questionnaire (18 items)
Correlation with size estimate = .30
What is impression formation?
How was it studied early on?
Interest of achieving order and understanding about how they are going to behave. Functional: gives clear set of expectations regarding individual behavior
Studied early with Asch stimulus list. Words all the same, BUT warm and cold make the difference.
Kelly (1950) warm-cold list findings
One word makes the difference. less likely to think generous, happy, wise, etc. if cold despite all other words the same.
Note: on scale, lower numbers = more positive impressions.
The additive (summation) vs. averaging models
Which is correct? What is the Gestalt Impression Approach?
They give us different numbers. It does matter for impression formation.
However NEITHER is right (plot twist). Don’t look at the traits at all: it’s a WHOLEISTIC impression based on traits where context and triats change the meaning.
Hamilton & Zanna (1974): context of proud
Other words make it confident or conceited
Higgins & Rholes (1976) Role Fullfillment Model (Lawyer and Thief, consider the apple)
Incompetent Thief is good, even though Thief is bad (classic double negative)
Trait + Role, Context
“To what degree is trait consistent with what object/even is like to carry out function?”
Sort better than mushy, but neither good for apple.
Powerful + violent is negative but both lead to matching assult
Fullfillment vs. Desirability. Don’t like violent assult, but it fullfills and mathces
Gestalt is what matters and that changes the meaning.
