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The source effect: person descriptions by self versus others have differential effects on impression formation
Aafje C Brandt1, Roos Vonk, Ad van Knippenberg
1Department of Social Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. ac.brandt@psy.vu.nl
Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin
|May 1, 2009
Summary
Positive self-descriptions may be less convincing than those from others. This study found third-party endorsements more effectively shape impressions of sociability and competence than self-claims.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Impression Formation
- Self-Presentation
Background:
- Individuals often use self-descriptions to shape how others perceive them.
- Self-presentation strategies aim to create favorable impressions.
- Perceived bias in self-descriptions can limit their effectiveness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of the source of person descriptions (self vs. third party) on impression formation.
- To determine if third-party descriptions are more influential than self-descriptions.
- To examine the role of perceived bias in the effectiveness of self-presentation.
Main Methods:
- Four experiments were conducted to compare impressions formed from self-descriptions versus third-party descriptions.
- Participants rated targets based on information provided by the target themselves or by a third party.
- The study manipulated the valence (positive/negative) and domain (sociability/competence) of the descriptions.
Main Results:
- Target impressions were more aligned with descriptions when provided by a third party compared to the target.
- This source effect was consistent for positive sociability and competence information.
- The effect was observed for ratings of claimed traits and, in some cases, for related traits.
Conclusions:
- Third-party descriptions are more effective than self-descriptions in shaping positive impressions.
- The perceived credibility and reduced bias of third-party sources enhance their impact.
- Negative self-descriptions did not show a similar source effect, suggesting different psychological processes at play.
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