Feelings and intuitions: Examining the automatic nature of spontaneous evaluative inferences
Abstract
Most past studies of spontaneous impression formation have focused on people's use of cognitive trait-based perceptions such as Spontaneous Trait Inferences (STIs) and Spontaneous Trait Transference (STT), ignoring the role of more affective perceptions. The current studies shift the focus from these trait-based spontaneous impressions to their evaluative counterparts, Spontaneous Evaluative Inferences (SEIs) and Spontaneous Evaluative Transference (SET). Specifically, these studies examine the relative automaticity of spontaneous evaluations, providing support for the hypotheses these processes are unconscious and involuntary (Study 1) and relatively efficient (Study 2). Study 3 then provides mathematical estimates of the extent to which automatic and controlled processes contribute to the expression of spontaneous evaluations. In addition, Study 3 provides support for the intuitive use of implicit knowledge in the iGASSP measure. Implications of these findings and proposals for future study are discussed.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Carlston, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Social psychology|Clinical psychology|Experimental psychology|Personality psychology
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