The robust self-esteem proxy: Impressions of self-esteem inform judgments of personality and social value. Issue 5 (2nd September 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cameron, Jessica J.; Stinson, Danu Anthony; Hoplock, Lisa; Hole, Christine; Schellenberg, Jodi
• Is Part Of: Self and identity. Volume 15:Issue 5(2016)
• Page Start: 561
• Page End: 578
• Publication Date: 2016-09-02
• Subjects: Self-esteem -- trait proxy -- implicit theories -- person perception; Self -- Periodicals; Identity (Psychology) -- Periodicals; Cognition -- Periodicals; Motivation (Psychology) -- Periodicals; 155.205
• DOI: 10.1080/15298868.2016.1175373
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1529-8868

Abstract

Abstract: People use impressions of an evaluative target's self-esteem to infer their possession of socially desirable traits. But will people still use this self - esteem proxy when trait-relevant diagnostic information is available? We test this possibility in two experiments: participants learn that a target person has low or high self-esteem, and then receive diagnostic information about the target's academic success or failure and positive or negative affectivity (Study 1), or watch a video of the target's extraverted or introverted behavior (Study 2). In both experiments, participants' impressions of the target's traits accurately tracked diagnostic information, but impressions also revealed an independent self-esteem proxy effect. Evidently, the self-esteem proxy is robust and influences person perception even in the presence of vivid individuating information.