Mind Reading: Misusing Your Sixth Sense. Nicholas Epley University of Chicago

Transcription

1 Mind Reading: Misusing Your Sixth Sense Nicholas Epley University of Chicago

2 Why We Care Management: Knowing others thoughts, emotions, motivations. Evaluating one s employees Managing one s employees Managing one s boss Managing one s customers Future planning Strategic negotiations Leadership: Knowing others impressions of US Am I trusted? Am I respected? Am I liked?

3 Mind Reading: How Well? Detecting Traits (Dyadic Accuracy, Kenny 1994): Study Correlation Anderson (1984).17 DePaulo et al. (1987).35 Kenny & DePaulo (1990) Applicant Role Interviewer Role Malloy & Albright (1990).10 Malloy & Janowski (1992).10 Oliver (1988).19 Reno & Kenny (1992).16 M =.13

4 Mind Reading: How Well? Detecting Liking (Dyadic Accuracy, Kenny 1994): Study Correlation Curry & Anderson (1970) Week 1.35 Week 8.43 DePaulo et al. (1987).20 Kenny & DePaulo (1990) Applicant Role -.17 Interviewer Role -.04 Oliver (1989).37 Reno & Kenny (1992).09 M =.18

5 Mind-Reading: Accuracy Correlation b/w beliefs about ability and actual ability (Realo et al., 2002) Traits: r =.00 Emotions (from voice): r = -.02 Emotions (from face): r =.00

6 Tonight Consider one mind reading task: Impression Detection Identify major barrier to accuracy: The Self Demonstrate two problems this barrier creates: The Neck Problem The Lens Problem Describe how each problem suggests a unique solution

7 Impression Detection: Barriers to Accuracy The Self as a Barrier

8 Egocentric biases: Beliefs, Attitudes, and Knowledge (Ross, 1997; Krueger, 1995) Communication Intentions (Keysar & Barr, 2002) and medium insensitivity (Kruger & Epley, 2003) Social Judgments Anticipated evaluations (Epley et al., 2002; Savitsky et al., 2001) Spotlight Effect and Illusion of Transparency (Gilovich et. al, 1999; 2000) Role-conferred valuation (Van Boven et al., 2000) Self-presentation

9 The self, in presentation: Presenting ourselves to others in ways that WE find impressive. Experiments: 1. Name-dropping: How likely to mention Barak Obama, Dolly Parton, 50 Cent, Barry Manilow, Chuck Norris 2. Jokes: How likely to tell Professor (Richard Thaler) Diplomacy is the art of saying "good doggie" while looking for a bigger stick. Politicians and diapers have one thing in common, they should both be changed regularly and for the same reason. 3. Pick-up lines (all men): How likely to say You must be Jamaican, because Jamaican me crazy.

10 Asked: 1. How likely to [use] 2. How much do you like (Self) 3. How much does the other person like (Target)

11 Impression Detection: Barriers to Accuracy The Self as a Barrier 1. The Neck Problem: Actors can attend to different information than observers. Inaccuracy comes from evaluating different stimuli.

12 Background Survey Year in School Hometown Proudest Intellectual Achievement Favorite Hobby Would you consider yourself to be: Friendly Unfriendly Caring Uncaring Have you ever, at any point in your life: Gone hiking in the outdoors Donated time or money to charity Wet your bed while you were sleeping Had a bad hair day

13 Brief Version Participant A is also very concerned about the environment, and enjoys going swimming, hiking, and boating in the outdoors. Participant A feels like he is charitable not only when thinking about the environment, but also when thinking about others. Participant A believes he is a moral person, sometimes donating time or money to charities. Participant A has thus far successfully lived his life in accordance with his moral principles, and has never been convicted of a felony, or arrested for physical assault or battery. Participant A anticipates working as a writer/editor after graduating from Cornell. Participant A also has a variety of hobbies. He considers himself to be athletic and enjoys playing sports, demonstrating not only an interest in academics but, as he reports, in living his life to the fullest. Extensive Version

14 80 70 General Impression Brief Extensive 30 Actual Anticipated

15 Impression Detection: Barriers to Accuracy The Self as a Barrier 1. The Neck Problem: Actors can attend to different information than observers. Inaccuracy comes from evaluating different stimuli. Increase accuracy by drawing attention to the others perspective.

16 80 70 Solving the Neck Problem Perspective-Taking Condition Bedwetting Study list information that will influence others impression General Impression Brief Extensive 20 Actual Anticipated

17 Impression Detection: Barriers to Accuracy The Self as a Barrier 1. The Neck Problem: Attending to different stimuli. 2. The Lens Problem:

18 Impression Detection: Barriers to Accuracy The Self as a Barrier 1. The Neck Problem: Attending to different stimuli. 2. The Lens Problem: Perceiving the very same stimulus differently. Self/Other gap: People possess more information about themselves than do others. Evaluate self under more microscopic lens than others do. Use of private comparisons can diminish accuracy.

19 Singing Experiment Turning Observers into Actors Singers perform REM s It s the end of the world. Sing twice: Once with lyrics Once without Manipulate order: Improve vs. Decline conditions Anticipate observers impressions of pitch, clarity, overall ability

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21 Solving the Lens Problem Change lens used for self-assessment to enable accurate social-assessment. Taking the big picture to match level of construal Don t sweat the details

22 Am I Hot or Not? Manipulating Construal (Trope & Lieberman, 2003): 1. Other rating you today (low level construal), or 2. Other rating three months from now (high level construal) Observers: rate subject s attractiveness

23 Am I Hot or Not? Anticipated versus Actual ratings (Absolute Difference): 5 Absolute Difference r =.16 Low (Today) r =.45 High (Future)

24 Solving the Lens Problem Solve by shifting attention to others perspective?

25 Am I Hot or Not?, Take 2 Absolute Difference r = -.24 Low (Today) r =.55 High (Future) r = -.10 Pers. Taking

26 Am I Hot or Not?, Take 3 Who is more accurate? Correlations with Accuracy (absolute difference): Level of Self-Construal (B.I.F. Scale) Tendency for Perspective-taking (I.R.I Scale) r =.39, p<.05 r =.09, ns

27 Accuracy requires overcoming gap between self-perception and social perception. Gap Creates Two Problems: The Neck Problem: attending to different information, and evaluating different stimuli. Alleviate by shifting attention The Lens Problem: interpreting the same perceptual input differently based on differing beliefs, attitudes, or knowledge. Mind Reading Alleviate by shifting construal