Impression Formation

Question 1

Nature of Impression Formation

Answer 1

Way in which we form impressions and attribute specific characters to them

Question 2

Configural Model

ASCH (1946)

Answer 2

Overall consistent impression
Central traits determine how attributes combine, determine how peripheral traits interplay

Read a list of attributes, ppt give impression

• warm- certain things to be right, sincere in an argument, like to see point won
• cold- snobbish, believes set apart from others, calculating

Warm/cold traits influential on overall impression compared to peripheral polite/blunt

Primacy effect- first terms set direction, subsequent terms are related to the first

Question 3

Cognitive Algebra

ANDERSON (1965,1978)

Answer 3

Forming impressions of others underpins judgements about safety and danger- whether to avoid or approach someone

Adaptive behaviour… evaluative process- assign subjective value to each trait observed

Question 4

How are evaluations combined?

Answer 4

Summative- total score to see if good (+) or bad (-)

Averaging- few strong traits can influence impressions more than a lot of mild traits

Weighted averaging- certain traits given greater weighting in certain contexts

Question 5

Negativity bias

Answer 5

Negative traits have greater impact on impressions

Negative information is remembered more

Negative traits are more predictive of voting behaviour

Question 6

Halo effect

EAGLY ET AL (1991)

Answer 6

Attribute positive qualities to attractive people

Question 7

OLSON & MARSHUETZ (2005)

Answer 7

21 students exposed to attractive/unattractive faces- judged whether positive or negative

Reaction time faster to recognise attractive faces

Implicit positive attitudes towards attractive faces

Question 8

Baby-faced faces

Answer 8

Larger eyes, higher eyebrows, rounder faces, smaller chin, thicker lips

Question 9

KEATING, RANDALL & KENDRIC (1999)

Answer 9

51 ppts

Baby faced Kennedy perceived as less powerful

Question 10

Cultural Differences

ZEBROWITZ ET AL (2012)

Answer 10

30 US men and 40 indigenous Bolivian men rated photos

Culture specific methods

Strong agreement on attractiveness and baby-faces for own

Question 11

Errors in impression

RULE (2013)

Answer 11

Multiple choice quiz

50% complied and stopped working after 5 mins, 50% cheated

Other ppts rated target faces on trustworthiness

Ratings of trustworthiness were unrelated to whether target cheated

Question 12

Political votes

BALLEW & TODOROV (2007)

Answer 12

Select competent winners / runners up after 100ms, 250ms and no time constraint

Select actual winner as being more competent and all exposure durations

Question 13

CEO hiring

GRAHAM (2014)

Answer 13

Matched CEOs and non-CEOs

Which person is more: competent, trustworthy, likeable, attractive

More likely to select CEO as more competent and attractive- positively correlated with CEOs pay

Question 14

Jury verdicts

PORTER TEN BRINKS & GUTAW (2010)

Answer 14

Photo of accused, written descriptive of the crime- severe or mild

Severe crimes= guilty verdicts formed less on evidence if accuser had untrustworthy looking face

Question 15

Interpersonal and context factors

Answer 15

Clothing
The perceiver
The context 
Culture, race and ethnicity
Knowledge

Question 16

Halo effect in contexts

GLICK (2005)

Answer 16

Does sexiness affect perceived competence in low and high status jobs

Video of woman (receptionist or manager) dressed in a) trousers, b) skirt

Rated attractiveness, sexiness, competence

=attractiveness same for A and B, sexiness higher for B

Question 17

LIVINGSTON & PEARCE (2009)

Answer 17

For black CEOs, baby-facedness was positively correlated with perceived earnings

Question 18

OLIVOLA ET AL (2012)

Answer 18

Republicans= accuracy linked to being elected- looking for republican associated with greater chance the candidate won in that state

Physical appearance more influential to republican- less political knowledge

Question 19

Cognitive short-cuts

Answer 19

Knowledge about peoples characteristics= cognitive representation

‘Webs of information’ predict a persons behaviour

Impressions guide our actions in a chaotic social world- adaptive