The Source Effect: Person Descriptions by Self versus Others Have Differential Effects on Impression Formation

Abstract

Self-presentation via favorable self-descriptions may not lead to the desired impression, whereas positive descriptions by others may be more effective because they seem less susceptible to motivated bias. In four experiments, we investigated whether person descriptions have more impact on impressions when provided by third parties than by targets themselves. Results showed that target impressions were consistently more in line with the target description when positive sociability-related or positive competency-related information was given by a third party than by the target. This source effect always occurred for ratings of claimed traits. In addition, ratings of the target's sociability were also affected when the claim was about competency. Source effects were not obtained for negative self-descriptions. The results are discussed in terms of the presumed underlying process on the basis of mediation data.

Augmentation and Discounting in Impressions of Targets Described by Third Parties with Ulterior Motives

“…By empirically studying this situation, we aim to provide new insights in attribution processes because it (1) extends theorizing about the effects of third party source motives on person perception, (2) provides a direct empirical test of hypotheses based on this theorizing, and (3) explores the limits of the effectiveness of testimonials about other people. This latter point relates to previous research showing that people sometimes (strategically) convey information about others to manage their public image, which can be highly effective (e.g., Brandt et al, 2009;Pontari & Schlenker, 2006;Schlenker & Britt, 1999).…”

“…In forming impressions of others, information from third parties may be seen as more reliable than information from actors themselves (Brandt, Vonk, & Van Knippenberg, 2009): People may engage in strategic self-presentation when they talk about themselves, whereas observers are typically more impartial. Perceivers may, therefore, assume that person information provided by third parties is relatively accurate, so that their judgments are strongly affected by this information.…”

Busy brains, boasters' gains: Self-promotion effectiveness depends on audiences cognitive resources

“…Had we used more general, subjective forms of selfpromotion in the letters (e.g., "I'm a hard worker. "), we may have seen agency attributions increase with audience busyness, as these generic statements may have become more believable when they were misattributed to third parties (Brandt, Vonk, & Van Knippenberg, 2009). …”

“…We suggest that source misattribution will result in either neutral or positive consequences for perceptions of the target's agency. For example, research has shown that a global, unsubstantiated claim that John is "intelligent and a hard worker" will be more likely to lead to the impression that John is agentic when that information is delivered by a third-party than by John himself(Brandt et al, 2009). When John is the source of this promoting information, perceivers may be suspicious of his motives and thus refrain from making a correspondent inference about his attributes.…”

Efeito de terceira pessoa e distância social: Percepção da influência dos media no eu, no semelhante e no outro na propaganda da Prefeitura Municipal de Salvador

“…A partir daí, alguns pesquisadores passam a se dedicar ao estudo da relação entre o ETP e a proximidade do outro com o indivíduo (ANDSAGER e WHITE, 2007;BRANDT et al, 2009;COHEN et al, 1988;DUCK, 1998;GUNTHER,1991;PEISER e PETER;. Cohen et al(1988) Baseado no princípio da distância social e buscando entender como acontece a percepção das diferenças nas relações interpessoais, Duck (1998) buscou averiguar se há mudança na percepção do ETP quando este é testado através da identidade social (identidade de um grupo) e através da identidade pessoal (identificação entre os indivíduos).…”