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Role selection in the service of self-presentation
1Department of Psychology, University of Florida, 32611, Gainesville, Florida.
Memory & Cognition
|November 9, 2013
Summary
Men chose higher status roles when interacting with an attractive woman, suggesting social behavior is influenced by desired impressions. This effect was linked to self-perception bias rather than role selection.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Behavioral Science
- Impression Management
Background:
- Individuals' social behavior is hypothesized to be a function of desired impressions.
- These desired impressions are influenced by the characteristics of interaction partners.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how a target person's attractiveness influences an individual's role selection in a social interaction.
- To examine the role of impression management in shaping social behavior.
Main Methods:
- Male subjects anticipated interaction with females of varying attractiveness (attractive, unattractive, control).
- Subjects selected high, medium, or low status roles to enact.
- Subjects reported their true role status.
Main Results:
- Experiment I: Significant bias towards higher status roles when interacting with an attractive female.
- Experiment II: Replication suggested bias in reporting true role status, limiting role selection changes.
- Findings align with impression management and exchange theory predictions.
Conclusions:
- Social perception of attractiveness significantly impacts role selection and self-presentation.
- Self-reporting biases can mediate the relationship between perceived attractiveness and behavioral choices.
- Exchange theory provides a framework for understanding these social dynamics.
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