Spontaneous trait transference: communicators taken on the qualities they describe in others.
Spontaneous trait transference occurs when communicators are perceived as possessing the very traits they describe in others. Study 1 confirmed that communicators become associated with the trait implications of their descriptions of others and that such associations persist over time. Study 2 demonstrated that these associations influence specific trait impressions of communicators. Study 3 suggested that spontaneous trait transference reflects simple associative processes that occur even when there are no logical bases for making inferences. Finally, Study 4 used more naturalistic stimuli and provided additional evidence that the phenomenon reflects mindless associations rather than logical attributions. Together these studies demonstrate that spontaneous trait transference is a reliable phenomenon that plays a previously unrecognized role in social perception and interaction.
Skowronski
J J
JJ
Department of Psychology, Ohio State University at Newark 43055, USA. skowronski.1@osu.edu
Carlston
D E
DE
Mae
L
L
Crawford
M T
MT
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001244:Association; D003142:Communication; D003463:Cues; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007196:Indiana; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009820:Ohio; D010153:Paired-Associate Learning; D012938:Social Perception; D013997:Time Factors