Inducing Self-Perceptions

Abstract

Fazio, Effrein, and Falender (1981) showed that asking subjects questions designed to elicit information primarily about introverted or extraverted life events results in shifts in self-perceptions and social behavior in the direction of the type of question asked. The present study examined the durability of this effect with regard to self-perceptions. Subjects were randomly selected to answer either introverted or extraverted questions and to interact with a confederate trained to act in either an introverted or extraverted manner. A main effect of question type was found on subjects' self-perception of introversion-extraversion both before and after interaction with the confederate. In addition, changes in self-perception were found to be influenced by confederate type.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Bem, D. J. Self-perception theory. In L. Berkowitz (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 6). New York: Academic Press, 1972.

Darley, J. D. , & Fazio, R. H. Expectancy confirmation processes arising in the socia' interaction sequence. American Psychologist, 1980, 35, 867-881.

Fazio, R. H. , Effrein, E. A. , & Falender, V. J. Self-perceptions following social interaction. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1981, 41, 232-242.

Kelley, H. H. , & Stahelski, A. J. Social interaction basis of cooperators' and competitors' beliefs about others. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1970, 16, 66-91.

Markus, H. Self-schemata and processing information about the self . Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1977, 35, 63-78.

Mead, G. H. Mind, self, and society. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1934.

Merton, R. K. The self-fulfilling prophecy . Antioch Review, 1948, 8 193-210.

Rosenthal, R. , & Jacobson, L. Pygmalion in the classroom. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1968.

Snyder, M. , & Swann, W. B. Behavioral confirmation in social interaction: From social perception to social reality. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 1978, 14, 148-162. (a)

10.

Snyder, M. , & Swann, W. B. Hypothesis-testing processes in social interaction. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1978, 36, 1202-1212. (b)

11.

Snyder, M. , Tanke, E. D. , & Berscheid, E. Social perception and interpersonal behavior: On the self-fulfilling nature of social stereotypes. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1977, 35, 656-666.

12.

Tversky, A. , & Kahneman, D. Judgment under uncertainty: Heuristics and biases. Science, 1974, 185, 1124-1131.

13.

Word, C. O. , Zanna, M. P. , & Cooper, J. The nonverbal mediation of self-fulfilling prophecies in interracial interaction. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 1974, 10, 109-120.