title: How do children form impressions of persons? They average.
abstract: The experiment reported was concerned with impression formation in children. Twelve subjects in each of Grades K, 2, 4, and 6 rated several sets of single trait words and trait pairs. The response scale consisted of a graded series of seven schematic faces which ranged from a deep frown to a happy smile. A basic question was whether children use an orderly integration rule in forming impressions of trait pairs. The answer was clear. At all grade levels a simple averaging model adequately accounted for pair ratings. A second question concerned how children resolve semantic inconsistencies. Responses to two highly inconsistent trait pairs suggested that subjects responded in the same fashion, essentially averaging the two traits in a pair. Overall, the data strongly supported an averaging model, and indicated that impression formation of children is similar to previous results obtained from adults.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, State University, 44242, Kent, Ohio.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hendrick
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Franz
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Hoving