Week 13 - Introduction

Question 1

How do we perceive people?

Answer 1

Via Agency vs. Communion

Plays a dominant role in making decisions of social nature

Question 2

What did Wojciszke propose about how human actions are perceived?

Answer 2

Two divergent perspectives= agent or recipient
Agent is agentic = connected with goal completion
Recipient is communal = aimed at sustaining social relationships

Question 3

What is the Hidden Profile (Stasser, 1985)?

Answer 3

It exists in groups and is when a superior alternative decision exists but the decision is hidden from group members.

In group decisions, there is a hidden part of information which may lead to a good decision but is always hidden and never shared.

Could be used to explain BREXIT and how remain was predicted to win but didn’t

Question 4

What are the main characteristics of the Hidden Profile (Stasser, 1985)?

Answer 4

Members tend not to favour superior alternative
The superior option can be discovered by the group when they pool each individuals knowledge
Discovery of a Hidden Profile depends on consideration of unshared information

Question 5

Why does the effect of hidden profile occurs?

Answer 5

Initial preferences
Consensus seeking - if no one else agrees with us then we’d rather not share and ruin the consensus
Maintaining social status - there are social costs when sharing unique information
Conformity - (consensus norm vs. Critical thinking norm; Postmes et al., 2001)

Question 6

How do we prevent the hidden profile?

Answer 6

By always sharing information