AFFECT AND THE COGNITIVE ORGANIZATION OF SOCIAL INFORMATION
Abstract
Three studies investigated the role of affect in the cognitive organization of social information. Study one investigated the speed with which subjects could sort sentences regarding persons, into categories according to the names of the persons being described. Study two investigated the effects of familiarity on the recognition time of descriptors used to describe familiar and unfamiliar persons. Study Three investigated the role of affect and familiarity on clustering during free recall. In all three studies, the familiarity and affective assessments of the materials presented were systematically varied. On the basis of logical learning theory (Rychlak, 1981), it was predicted positive affective assessments would lead to more rapid sorting and recognition time, and greater clustering, regardless of level of familiarity. In study one, the predicted main effect for affect occured. In study two, only the predicted familiarity and descriptor affect resulted. In study three, subjects were asked to recall whole sentences describing persons. When cluster scores were obtained by observing the number of whole sentences recalled, no differences in clustering were found. However, when deriving cluster scores on the basis of names only, less clustering occurred when disliked persons were described by disliked traits. When clusters were obtained on the basis of traits alone, less clustering occurred when traits were disliked.
Degree
Ph.D.
Subject Area
Social psychology
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