Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 18, 2026
08:24
The Joint Effect of Social Comparison and Social Distance on Evaluation of Intertemporal Choice Outcomes in Event-related Potential Studies
Published on: August 25, 2023
Confusing one instrumental other for another: goal effects on social categorization
Gráinne M Fitzsimons1, James Y Shah
1Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave. West, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. grainne@uwaterloo.ca
Psychological Science
|November 13, 2009
Summary
Everyday goals influence social categorization by making people perceive others as either useful or not useful for achieving those goals. This goal-based perception affects memory and similarity judgments.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Cognitive Science
- Social Cognition
Background:
- Traditional social categorization research focuses on fixed features like race and gender.
- The influence of dynamic, goal-driven factors on social perception remains less explored.
- Understanding how active goals shape social perception is crucial for social cognition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of goal instrumentality in social categorization.
- To test if active goals alter how individuals categorize and perceive others.
- To explore the impact of goal activation on memory and similarity judgments.
Main Methods:
- Subliminal goal activation was used to engage participants' goals without their awareness.
- Participants categorized individuals based on their perceived usefulness for an activated goal (goal instrumentality).
- Memory errors and similarity ratings were assessed for individuals within and between instrumental categories.
Main Results:
- Subliminal goal activation increased memory errors within instrumental categories (instrumental/noninstrumental).
- Fewer memory errors occurred between instrumental and noninstrumental categories after goal activation.
- Activated goals led participants to perceive individuals within the same instrumental category as more similar and those in different categories as less similar.
Conclusions:
- Social perception is significantly shaped by the instrumentality of others in relation to active, everyday goals.
- Goal instrumentality represents a novel category type influencing social perception and memory.
- Findings highlight the dynamic interplay between goals and social cognition, extending our understanding of social categorization.
More Related Videos
07:34Perceptual and Category Processing of the Uncanny Valley Hypothesis' Dimension of Human Likeness: Some Methodological Issues
Published on: June 3, 2013
05:35Experience is Instrumental in Tuning a Link Between Language and Cognition: Evidence from 6- to 7- Month-Old Infants' Object Categorization
Published on: April 19, 2017
Related Concept Videos
04:49Robbers Cave
During the 1950s, the landmark Robbers Cave experiment demonstrated that when groups must compete with one another, intergroup conflict, hostility, and even violence may result. At the Oklahoman summer camp, two troops of boys—termed the Rattlers and the Eagles—took part in a week-long tournament. During this time, their negativity culminated in derogatory name-calling, fistfights, and even vandalism and destruction of property. However, this work also revealed that such tension could be...
01:29Social Identity
Social identity constitutes a significant aspect of an individual’s self-concept, shaped by membership in various social groups, including gender, nationality, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and political affiliation. Individuals associate specific traits with particular social groups, leading to internalization of these traits. For example, musicians are often perceived as creative, while women are frequently associated with nurturing tendencies. Once individuals identify with a particular...
01:31In- and Out-Groups
People all belong to a gender, race, age, and social economic group. These groups provide a powerful source of our identity and self-esteem (Tajfel & Turner, 1979) and serve as our in-groups. An in-group is a group that we identify with or see ourselves as belonging to.
02:16Stereotype Content Model
The Stereotype Content Model (SCM) was first proposed by Susan Fiske and her colleagues (Fiske, Cuddy, Glick & Xu, 2002; see also Fiske, 2012 and Fiske, 2017). The SCM specifies that when someone encounters a new group, they will stereotype them based on two metrics: warmth—or that group’s perceived intent, and how likely they are to provide help or inflict harm—and competence—or their ability to carry out that objective. Depending on the warmth-competence categorization, a person will feel...
01:21Impact of Social Context on Individuals
Social psychology examines how the real or imagined presence of others influences individuals' thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. A key concept in this field is the role of social context in shaping behavior. The same individual may act differently depending on the social setting, due to the varying expectations and norms associated with each environment. This context-dependent behavior illustrates the influence of social roles, which prescribe appropriate conduct in specific situations.Social...
01:26Causes of Similarity-Dissimilarity Effect
The similarity-dissimilarity effect, a fundamental concept in social psychology, explains how interpersonal similarities and differences influence attraction and social interactions. This effect is supported by three key psychological perspectives: balance theory, social comparison theory, and consensual validation.Balance Theory and Cognitive ConsistencyBalance theory, developed by Fritz Heider, posits that individuals seek cognitive consistency in their relationships. When two people share...