Prototype matching: a strategy for social decision making

Area of Science:

• Social Psychology
• Environmental Psychology
• Consumer Behavior

Background:

• Housing selection is a significant decision for college students.
• Understanding the psychological factors influencing housing choice is crucial.
• Self-perception and ideal resident prototypes may play a role in housing preferences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the self-to-prototype matching strategy in college student housing selection.
• To examine individual differences in the use of this strategy based on housing selection goals.
• To explore the relationship between self-concept clarity, self-monitoring, and housing choice.

Main Methods:

• College students completed questionnaires on self-concept, housing prototypes, preferences, and goals during housing selection.
• Analysis focused on the correlation between self-perceptions and housing prototypes.
• Individual differences were assessed based on reported goals (interpersonal vs. practical) and personality characteristics.

Main Results:

• Most students preferred housing where their self-perception aligned with their prototype of the typical resident.
• Students with interpersonal housing selection goals showed more systematic self-to-prototype matching.
• This systematic matching was particularly evident in students reporting many untrue personality characteristics or low self-monitoring.

Conclusions:

• The self-to-prototype matching strategy is a significant factor in college student housing decisions.
• Interpersonal goals moderate the use of self-to-prototype matching, influenced by self-concept clarity and self-monitoring.
• Students with practical housing goals did not exhibit these individual differences in strategy use.