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Seeing others through rose-colored glasses: An affiliation goal and positivity bias in implicit trait impressions

Publication ,  Journal Article
Rim, SY; Min, KE; Uleman, JS; Chartrand, TL; Carlston, DE
Published in: Journal of Experimental Social Psychology
November 1, 2013

People infer traits from other people's behaviors without intention, awareness, or effort, and this spontaneous trait inference (STI) effect has been shown to be robust. The purpose of the present research was to demonstrate the flexibility of STIs despite the ubiquity. Specifically, we examined the effect of an affiliation goal on STI formation and found a positivity bias. In Experiment 1, perceivers with an affiliation goal formed more positive (versus negative) spontaneous trait inferences compared to those without this goal and those who had been primed with semantically positive, affiliation-unrelated words. Experiment 2 provided evidence that this effect was driven by a motivational state by showing that the positivity bias occurs only when a perceiver's goal to affiliate remains unfulfilled. The goal's interaction with trait valence showed focused, goal-relevant bias. These studies are the first to show that STIs form flexibly in response to perceivers' primed social goals supporting the functionality account of STIs in implicit impression formation. © 2013 Elsevier Inc.

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Published In

Journal of Experimental Social Psychology

DOI

EISSN

1096-0465

ISSN

0022-1031

Publication Date

November 1, 2013

Volume

49

Issue

6

Start / End Page

1204 / 1209

Related Subject Headings

  • Social Psychology
  • 5205 Social and personality psychology
  • 1702 Cognitive Sciences
  • 1701 Psychology
 

Citation

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Chicago
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Rim, S. Y., Min, K. E., Uleman, J. S., Chartrand, T. L., & Carlston, D. E. (2013). Seeing others through rose-colored glasses: An affiliation goal and positivity bias in implicit trait impressions. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 49(6), 1204–1209. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2013.05.007
Rim, S. Y., K. E. Min, J. S. Uleman, T. L. Chartrand, and D. E. Carlston. “Seeing others through rose-colored glasses: An affiliation goal and positivity bias in implicit trait impressions.” Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 49, no. 6 (November 1, 2013): 1204–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2013.05.007.
Rim SY, Min KE, Uleman JS, Chartrand TL, Carlston DE. Seeing others through rose-colored glasses: An affiliation goal and positivity bias in implicit trait impressions. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 2013 Nov 1;49(6):1204–9.
Rim, S. Y., et al. “Seeing others through rose-colored glasses: An affiliation goal and positivity bias in implicit trait impressions.” Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, vol. 49, no. 6, Nov. 2013, pp. 1204–09. Scopus, doi:10.1016/j.jesp.2013.05.007.
Rim SY, Min KE, Uleman JS, Chartrand TL, Carlston DE. Seeing others through rose-colored glasses: An affiliation goal and positivity bias in implicit trait impressions. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 2013 Nov 1;49(6):1204–1209.
Journal cover image

Published In

Journal of Experimental Social Psychology

DOI

EISSN

1096-0465

ISSN

0022-1031

Publication Date

November 1, 2013

Volume

49

Issue

6

Start / End Page

1204 / 1209

Related Subject Headings

  • Social Psychology
  • 5205 Social and personality psychology
  • 1702 Cognitive Sciences
  • 1701 Psychology