Forming Impressions of Personality

"Forming Impressions of Personality," by Gollin (1954).

The purpose of this study was to investigate ways that impressions of the personality are formed. The author begins with a review of previous research by Asch and Luchins to support the study methodology and compare findings. Asch used a trait-name list to investigate subjects personality impressions, and found responses to be unified. Luchins questioned the use of the trait-name list and repeated Asch's experiment, finding responses to lack unification. The use of a motion picture instead of a trait-name list was introduced, in a pilot study. Findings from this study showed three types of responses: related, aggregated, and simplified.

The procedures for the current study included the use of the motion picture portraying a young woman as being promiscuous and immoral, kind and considerate, or neutral. Two groups of male undergraduates (N=26 and N=29) viewed the film. Subjects were read instructions twice and the film was presented with themes shown in reverse order for each group. A third group (N=24) was run to check instructions effects (instructions were read following the movie). Subjects then wrote their impressions and responded to a social distance scale.

The written impressions were analyzed by three judges. Agreement between the judges for Groups 1 and 3 was 90%, and 88% for group 2. The results of the study demonstrated that out of 79 subjects, 18 were classified as Related,

Related Essays

Psychology by Gleitman: Chapter Summaries .... of perceiving others, he discusses issues of forming impressions, impressions of others as .... conformity, blind obedience as related to personality structure and .... (4143 17 )

Effects of Mothers' Power Perceptions .... self and then internalize these in forming self-concepts .... Do people know what kinds of impressions they convey .... Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52(2 .... (3594 14 )

Initial Job Interview Success .... ask these types of questions to learn about your personality and test .... job fair is like a series of mini-interviews, with recruiters forming impressions of the .... (6489 26 )

Intellectual growth from birth to old age .... chain of transient, unconnected sensory impressions and motor .... into the individual's personality and abilities .... learn intimacy from forming close partnerships in .... (1919 8 )

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy .... which each comes to terms with impressions, influences, and .... Cognitive therapy views the personality as based on .... In the process of forming a belief, the object .... (2451 10 )

ng their order (EI and IE). Subjects were read instructions and given the paragraph, and then received a booklet with questions. The first experiment included 437 subjects, from 16 classes in New York City high schools and colleges; subjects were divided into groups E (117), EI (113), IE (91), and I (116). half of the groups were to select descriptors such as friendly and the other half selected unfriendly. Findings were that most subjects in the I group chose shy (97%, 94%) and most from the E group chose friendly (88%, 92%). Findings regarding the combinations groups showed that 85% of responses chose one type or the other and the indices pointed to primacy or the greater influence of the leading descriptor. The second experiment included a more complex set of instructions following the paragraph reading. Subjects were 350 students from colleges in Montreal, Canada. Ten experimenters (student assistants) worked independently. Results showed that four-fifths of the response opportunities for each group showed one block more persuasive than the other, and predominant influence was of the first block; differences were statistically significant. The third experiment used a new questionnaire with a broader realm; subje

Category: Psychology - F