The purpose of this study was to examine the consequences of the distinctiveness effect for social interaction, using traits about which participants had no previous information. The perceived distinctiveness of novel traits was manipulated, and bogus information about an individual’s distinctive and nondistinctive characteristics provided conflicting expectations about that individual. The prediction that individuals would be judged based on the information provided about their supposed distinctive traits was supported. In addition, observations made by independent raters demonstrated that these distinctiveness-based judgments about the individual initiated a self-fulfilling prophecy process. Unexpectedly, the distinctiveness effect in this experiment was found only among female participants.
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