Priming effects in judgements and behaviour Flashcards
the relation between perception and behaviour
What is the most important function of perception?
To know what is going on?
Understanding not an end in itself – more to it
Understanding = means via which we act effectively
Perception is for doing!
an evolutionary spin
Perceptual abilities evolved because we started to behave, not because we started to understand – doing things as a result of what we were perceiving in env
Humans and cats Vs. weeping willows and cacti
Animals move, develop mechanisms of perception
Perception is always done for an end goal
does perceiving lead to doing?
In frogs, 2 perceptual systems: flight (something about to eat them) and hunt (when they’re hungry) – can eliminate one and leave other in tact – 1-1 correspondence
Same perceptual process => same behavioural consequence
Many species (like us) more sophisticated – in a specific context – not inevitable
Seeing an attractive person but not kissing– can break impulse
two possible routes to flexibility
Why doesn’t perception always lead to action in humans?
Perception insufficient to elicit action – something else has to be present – additional process – e.g. conscious decision to act – facilitator option
Perception sufficient to create action but action inhibited – inhibitor option – default = action – blocks impulse – more likely explanation
the direct effect of perception on behaviour produces imitation
What about the case of imitation?
Notion that perception and action share neurological systems - we are wired that way – makes them overlap – treats seeing and doing action in same way
Where is the evidence?
neuropsych evidence
Monkeys - activation of same bit of premotor cortex (witnessing/performing action)
Overlap between mental representations used (perceiving/performing)
May be a conflict if doing 2 things that are similar
And in people! Zajonc et al. (1982) – mimicked faces in photo – made some Ps chew gum – made mimicking harder – lead to poorer memory – link between perceiving and doing action disrupted
ideomotor action
Just thinking about something makes it more likely you’ll do it
More neuro stuff - Jeannerod (1994) - simulating an action leads to same activation in brain as making action – ACC activated
the common-coding hyp
Prinz (1990) - shared representational systems (perceptions/actions)
So, should be hard to perform action at same time as perceiving it - is it?
Implications - we have a natural tendency to imitate because…
CRUCIAL
Perceiving an action activates mental representation of this action, which in turn leads to performance
Tendency to imitate is a consequence of the way behaviour is represented internally
It’s the way we’re made…!
Perception and behaviour intrinsically linked
so what do we perceive that we then imitate?
Observables – speech etc.
Trait inferences – extract traits from behaviour
Social stereotypes – initially categorise someone – brings to mind all sorts of info about the person
observables
Facial expressions – e.g. yawning, people who live together have similar facial expression as gone through same emotional trauma
Behaviour matching – e.g. on a date, not necessarily conscious – can happen with a stranger
Speech-related variables: tone of voice – live together and pick up on same tone and mannerisms etc.
Is it strategic? Probably not
trait inferences
Spontaneous trait inferences
Carver et al. (1983): hostility prime – inclined to give harder shocks
Bargh et al. (1996, Study 1; on ELE): rudeness prime – polite – 558s to interrupt – neutral – 519s – rude – 326s
Macrae & Johnston (1998; on ELE): helping prime – sometimes worked and sometimes didn’t
social stereotypes 1
Work in the same way as single trait concepts, why?
Remember schemas - comprise several diff. trait concepts associated with category – if context right – prime with certain stereotype – people behave in way that fits it
Bargh et al. (1996, Study 2; ELE); elderly (Florida, grey, bingo)/control prime – timed how long to get to end of corridor – sig diff – neutral – 7.3s – elderly – 8.28s
Dijksterhuis et al. (2001) - reaction times
social stereotypes 2
Aarts & Dijksterhuis (2001): cheetahs and snails
Bargh et al. (1996, Study 3; ELE): aggressive subliminal prime (AA faces) - aggression prime = more hostile
Dijksterhuis & van Knippenberg
(1998; ELE) - politician prime – politician = wrote more
social stereotypes 3
Dijksterhuis & van Knippenberg (1998; ELE): Trivial Pursuit – secretary – 46.4% correct, - no prime – 49.9%, professors – 59.5%
Levy (1986): elderly ps primed with + or - terms associated with elderly
Dijksterhuis et al. (2000) - same effect with college students
