Perceiver Positivity Differences Originate in Early-Stage Impression Formation: Evidence From a Recognition Task

Abstract

People differ in how positively they perceive others at first glance. The present research examined whether such positivity differences are already evident during early stages of impression formation, under conditions that do not require explicit evaluative judgment. We developed a recognition-based paradigm in which participants read vignettes describing unfamiliar targets and later completed an unexpected recognition task. In Study 1 (n = 312), participants differed in the valence of traits they recognized; those who recognized more positive traits reported greater liking for the targets and scored higher in agreeableness, conscientiousness, and age. Study 2 (n = 837) replicated these findings, introduced a “don’t know” response option to reduce guessing, and demonstrated moderate overlap with rating-based measures of perceiver positivity. Together, the results indicate that perceiver positivity differences can emerge during early impression formation and reflect stable individual differences.

Keywords

perceiver effects person perception spontaneous trait inference impression formation positivity

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