The Role of Projection and Empathic Accuracy in Dyadic Perception between Older Twins

Abstract

Dyadic perception between 108 older identical and same-sex fraternal twin pairs was examined using three different tasks: (i) an emotional sensitivity task, (ii) a Q-Sort rating of emotion-eliciting situations, and (iii) an assessment of each other's personality traits. Idiographic analyses related judgements of self and co-twin within and between twins. Projection approached the reliability of the judgements and was significantly higher than both empathic accuracy and actual similarity, suggesting that the process of dyadic perception was mainly shaped by projection. Significant correlations between empathic accuracy and projection were caused by the similarity of the twins in self-judgements. Empathic accuracy was much weaker once projection was controlled, indicating that twins had used valid projection to improve accuracy. Similarity-controlled projection was still high and reflected the fact that the twins overestimated their similarity to a large extent. Contrary to expectation but consistent across the three tasks, identical and fraternal twins differed neither in levels of actual similarity, empathic accuracy and projection, nor in similarity-controlled empathic accuracy and projection. KEY WORDS • dyadic perception • empathic accuracy • projection • social relationships • twinsEmpathy serves a fundamental social function in close relationships and is

How is My Partner Feeling in Different Daily-Life Settings? Accuracy of Spouses' Judgements about Their Partner's Feelings at Work and at Home

“…In line with the literature (Hoch, 1987;Kenny and Acitelli, 2001;Neyer et al, 1999;Thomas et al, 1997) we expected higher coefficients for assumed similarity than for accuracy (H-2). We found some evidence for H-2, but our results suggest that gender, the type of situation and the particular feelings being judged need also to be taken into account.…”

“…There is empirical evidence that it is a common strategy to use one's own experience as an anchor to judge other persons' experiences (Markus et al, 1985;Nickerson, 1999). Various studies have demonstrated strong assumed similarity or projection that was higher than accuracy in most of the cases (Hoch, 1987;Kenny and Acitelli, 2001;Neyer et al, 1999;Thomas et al, 1997). Thus, we expect this also to be true in our study: When spouses judge their absent partner's feelings, assumed similarity will be higher than accuracy (Hypothesis H-2).…”

“…Research on nonverbal sensitivity (e.g., Ambady et al, 2000;Noller, 2001;Johnstone and Scherer, 2000;Keltner and Ekman, 2000) and empathic accuracy (e.g., Ickes, 2001;Levenson and Ruef, 1992;Neyer et al, 1999) was almost exclusively done in the laboratory, using sophisticated experimental designs.…”

“…The husbands' assumed similarity for example measures how similar the husbands' own feelings are to their judgments of their wife's feelings. The term projection has also been used (e.g., Hoch, 1987;Neyer et al, 1999) in addition to the term assumed similarity (Cronbach, 1955;Gage and Cronbach, 1955). However, in the context of interpersonal perception research, projection is primarily defined operationally, and its meaning is quite different from the psychoanalytical meaning of projection as an unconscious defence mechanism (Kenny, 1994).…”

Reintegrating the Study of Accuracy Into Social Cognition Research

“…However, we hope that future work will port this approach to the study of other processes, such as stereotyping and projection (Hoch, 1987;Judd & Park, 1993;Jussim, 1991;Neyer, Banse, & Asendorpf, 1999); other forms of accuracy, such as predictions of one's own future experiences Kermer, Driver-Linn, Wilson, & Gilbert, 2006;Wilson, Wheatley, Meyers, Gilbert, & Axsom, 2000); and other forms of adaptive behavior, such as successful negotiation, cooperation, and accurate prediction about others' actions (Coricelli & Nagel, 2009;Galinsky, Maddux, Gilin, & White, 2008;Hampton, Bossaerts, & O'Doherty, 2008;Valdesolo, Ouyang, & DeSteno, 2010). However, we hope that future work will port this approach to the study of other processes, such as stereotyping and projection (Hoch, 1987;Judd & Park, 1993;Jussim, 1991;Neyer, Banse, & Asendorpf, 1999); other forms of accuracy, such as predictions of one's own future experiences Kermer, Driver-Linn, Wilson, & Gilbert, 2006;Wilson, Wheatley, Meyers, Gilbert, & Axsom, 2000); and other forms of adaptive behavior, such as successful negotiation, cooperation, and accurate prediction about others' actions (Coricelli & Nagel, 2009;Galinsky, Maddux, Gilin, & White, 2008;Hampton, Bossaerts, & O'Doherty, 2008;Valdesolo, Ouyang, & DeSteno, 2010).…”