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Motivational and accessibility effects in person perception
Abstract
Two studies examined whether motivation influences the utilization of accessible trait constructs in person perception. Previous research shows that perceivers readily rely on both chronically and temporarily accessible trait constructs in social information processing. It has been proposed that this process is automatic in that it does not require many processing resources, that it occurs unintentionally, and that it runs autonomously to completion. The present studies were designed to examine the generality of these accessibility effects in person perception. The first study focused on chronically accessible constructs, and the second on temporarily accessible constructs. Outcome dependency should motivate the use of relatively complex information processing strategies, and so moderate the relatively automatic reliance on chronically and temporarily accessible constructs in person perception. Alternatively, to the extent that the relatively automatic reliance on chronically and temporarily accessible constructs is immune to motivation because it is immune to intent, outcome dependency should not influence whether or not perceivers utilize either kind of accessible trait constructs in social information processing. Both of these possibilities were examined. The results did not support the prediction that outcome dependency would moderate effects of either chronically or temporarily accessible trait constructs on person perception.
Subject Area
Social psychology|Personality psychology|Experimental psychology|Psychology
Recommended Citation
Riley, Anthony Oliver, "Motivational and accessibility effects in person perception" (1993). Doctoral Dissertations Available from Proquest. AAI9316713.
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI9316713