Not all positive categories are alike: Exploring the superiority of the self as a positive source for associative attitude change via intersecting regularities

Abstract

In associative evaluative learning, attitudes can originate from intersecting regularities between a target and both positive‐ and self‐related stimuli. Liking for a focal target is primarily driven by its reference to one source, but it might be qualified by the reference to a contrast target. This contribution focuses on how the nature of positive and contrast sources affects learning via intersecting regularities. In two studies (N = 199 and N = 185), the self and another positive category lead to increased implicit and explicit liking, regardless of the contrast source's valence. In Study 3 (N = 128), confronting the self and the positive category in the same paradigm yields only implicit preferences for self‐related targets. Both implicitly and explicitly, this preference for self‐ over positive‐related target was moderated by self‐positivity. Our findings confirm the robustness of learning via intersecting regularities and suggest that the self is a special evaluative source.

Using the Self-Referencing Task to Produce Durable Change on Food Evaluations Measured via the IAT

“…Future research should test more directly the key role of this specific feature of the SR task in producing lasting changes in automatic evaluations towards food stimuli. For instance, as past studies demonstrated the role of individuals' self-esteem in moderating the SR effect (Mattavelli, Richetin, & Perugini, 2019;Prestwich et al, 2010), future studies could investigate the role played by this variable when the SR effect is tested over time.…”

Liking as far as you like yourself: Exploring the Self-Referencing effect across multiple intersecting regularities and its relationship with self-esteem

“…Corroborating this idea, Prestwich and colleagues (2010) showed that the higher the self-esteem, the larger the SR effect on implicit (but not explicit) evaluative change. Also, Mattavelli, Richetin, and Perugini (2019) observed, in a modified form of the SR task in which the self was opposed to an equally valenced attitudinal source, that the more positive the endorsed explicit self-view, the stronger the SR effect was. Thus, both implicit and explicit self-evaluations seem important qualifiers of the SR effect.…”