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Tales of the unexpected: executive function and person perception
C N Macrae1, G V Bodenhausen, A M Schloerscheidt
1Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, England, United Kingdom. pscnm@bristol.ac.uk
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
|March 13, 1999
Summary
This study shows that impairing executive functioning, like inconsistency resolution, affects how we remember unexpected information during person perception. Memory bias for surprising details disappears when cognitive load is high.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Social Psychology
Background:
- Person perception involves understanding individuals based on observed behaviors and traits.
- Executive functioning, particularly inconsistency resolution, is hypothesized to influence memory biases in social cognition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of executive functioning in person perception.
- To determine if impaired executive functioning eliminates memory bias for unexpected information.
Main Methods:
- Two experiments were conducted using different memory measures, including free recall and source identification.
- Participants completed tasks under dual-task conditions to impair executive functioning.
Main Results:
- Impaired executive functioning under dual-task conditions hindered inconsistency resolution.
- The memory bias for unexpected material was eliminated when executive functioning was impaired.
Conclusions:
- Executive functioning is crucial for processing unexpected information in person perception.
- Inconsistency resolution, an executive function, mediates the memory bias for surprising social information.