Perceiver Effects in First Impressions Reflect Generalized Stereotypes: Evidence of Consistency Across Time, Groups, and Contexts

In interpersonal perception, perceivers’ tendencies for judging the average target (perceiver effects) are commonly assumed to reflect generalized stereotypes about “the other.” This is empirically supported by findings of consistent rank-orders of perceiver effects across measurement occasions, but previous studies could not rule out important alternative explanations for consistency. Here, we present a strict test of the generalized stereotype account in two studies ( ns 146 and 295) in which participants provided mutual impressions in distinct, uniquely composed groups. Results reveal that perceiver effects are quite consistent on the level of global evaluation and acquiescence but less consistent on the level of specific trait- or item-content. The finding that perceivers who saw others in globally positive or negative ways in one situation also saw other targets in similar ways in entirely different situations across time, groups, and contexts is strong evidence for the generalized stereotype account and has vital implications.

Perceiver effects in first impressions reflect generalized stereotypes: Evidence of consistency across time, groups, and contexts.

In interpersonal perception, perceivers’ tendencies for judging the average target (perceiver effects) are commonly assumed to reflect generalized stereotypes about “the other”. This is empirically supported by findings of consistent rank-orders of perceiver effects across measurement occasions, but previous studies could not rule out important alternative explanations for consistency. Here, we present a strict test of the generalized stereotype account in two studies (ns 146 and 295) in which participants provided mutual impressions in distinct, uniquely composed groups. Results reveal that perceiver effects are quite consistent on the level of global evaluation and acquiescence but less consistent on the level of specific trait- or item-content. The finding that perceivers who saw others in globally positive or negative ways in one situation also saw other targets in similar ways in entirely different situations across time, groups, and contexts is strong evidence for the generalized stereotype account and has vital implications.

EXPLORING ALEXITHYMIA IN SOMATIZATION USING RORSCHACH PSYCHODIAGNOSTICS

It has been classically postulated that alexithymia is related to a pervasive inability of emotional recognition and expression. This leaves some individuals little choice but to somatise unprocessed emotions commonly caused by internal conflicts. The present study thus aimed to explore the nature of conflicts, controls and stress tolerance, affect, self-perception, and interpersonal perception and behavior in somatization patients with alexithymia. 30 individuals of both sexes and of the age range 20-50 years, diagnosed with somatization disorder and alexithymia, were purposively undertaken for the study. Toronto Alexithymia Scale 20, Sack’s Sentence Completion Test and the Rorschach Test – Exner’s Comprehensive System were used to screen for alexithymia, to measure conflicts and the other aforementioned domains respectively. Results revealed that conflicts related to self-concept, sex, and family were primarily present in this sample. Characteristic patterns of underlying vulnerabilities seemed to account for poor stress tolerance, affective complications, negative self-perception, and maladaptive interpersonal functioning. It is suggested that alexithymia and a tendency to develop conflicts in somatization are based on the foundation of certain fundamental personality predispositions. Identifying said personality patterns could aid in appropriate and effective goal-setting in psychotherapy, specific to this otherwise treatment-resistant patient population.

An Interpersonal Approach to Social Preference: Examining Patterns and Influences of Liking and Being Bothered by Interpersonal Behaviors of Others

Personality disorders are rooted in maladaptive interpersonal behaviors. Previously, researchers have assessed interpersonal behaviors using self-ratings of one's own behaviors and third-person ratings of dyadic interactions. Few studies have examined individuals' perceptions of others' interpersonal behaviors. Using a sample of 470 undergraduate students, the authors examined patterns of interpersonal perception as well as influences of these patterns on psychological functioning. Findings showed that people tend to like interpersonal behaviors that are similar to their own and become bothered by behaviors that are the opposite of their own. Such a pattern is particularly characteristic on the warmth dimension and is consistent across different levels of closeness of the relationship. The authors also found small but significant effects of interpersonal perception on personality and general psychological functioning, above and beyond effects of individuals' own interpersonal traits. Such findings highlight the importance of including perceptions of others in investigating interpersonal dynamics when understanding personality disorders.

Social relationship strength modulates the similarity of brain-to-brain representations of group members

Within our societies, humans form cooperative groups with diverse levels of relationship quality among individual group members. In establishing relationships with others, we use attitudes and beliefs about group members and the group as a whole to establish relationships with particular members of our social networks. However, we have yet to understand how brain responses to group members facilitate relationship quality between pairs of individuals. We address this here using a round-robin interpersonal perception paradigm in which each participant was both a perceiver and target for every other member of their group, in a set of 20 unique groups of between 5 and 6 members in each (total N = 111). Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we show that measures of social relationship strength modulate the brain-to-brain multivoxel similarity patterns between pairs of participants’ responses when perceiving other members of their group in regions of the brain implicated in social cognition. These results provide evidence for a brain mechanism of social cognitive processes serving interpersonal relationship strength among group members.

The opportunities of interactive technologies for enhancing the self-actualization of non-linguistic students studying a foreign language (exemplified by business game)

The article is devoted to studying the opportunities of interactive technologies for enhancing the self-actualization of non-linguistic students studying a foreign language, exemplified by the method «business game». Interactive technologies form the learning environment where a student acts as a subject of multidirectional interaction «student — teacher» / «student — student». They contribute to forming the deliberate student’s competency and to taking the full advantage of their creative and mental potentials. Business game is intended to improve the skills of foreign language communication, to develop the social competency, to raise the proficiency in the foreign language not only as a subject of study but also as a mean of professional communication. There are the main aspects of business game which form the mechanism of enhancing the self-actualization of non-linguistic students studying a foreign language: individual constituent, collective constituent, feedback, emotional background. Individual constituent is internal conditions, collective constituent is external stimulating conditions. The author demonstrates how the role ranking in business game helps activate the cognitive interest of students and their readiness to search for the creative non-typical solutions of problematic situations. Business game mobilizes the mechanisms of students’ interpersonal perception — identification and empathy. Feedback makes cognitive, communicative and personal-conceptual aspects of study more active, actualizes the personal and group forms of reflexion. The emotional constituent of business game is the emotional atmosphere which by means of positive emotional experiences can contribute to enhancing the motivation for learning-creative activities and cognitive interest, to developing students’ needs for personal growth and self-fulfilment. Business game is a powerful motivational resource for enhancing the self-actualization of students studying a foreign language.

Affectivity and Relational Awareness in Pedagogy and Education

In this article, we put forward the concept ‘relational awareness’ to describe a conscious awareness of the experience of relational responsivity and dynamics of change in stressful intersubjective encounters in pedagogy and education. This concept is inspired by phenomenology and cultural-historical theory. We introduce the theories of extended affectivity, embodied resonance and intersubjectivity and relate these to cultural-historical psychology in order to explore how people appraise and understand situations related to societal goals, motives, practices and mediating means. Relational awareness, which involves being consciously aware of embodied, pre-reflective relational responsivity, is specific to the cultural context, to the mediating means, and the lived experiences of the person. Relational awareness and responsivity can be objects of reflection and education when educational practices include deliberate work on embodied experience and mediational means to reflect on and change experienced intercorporeity. Relational awareness differs from interpersonal perception in that it involves embodied activity mediated by embodied knowledge and social means of language and discourse.Our conceptualisation of relational awareness is empirically driven by two qualitative studies of preschool teachers’ and teachers’ embodied practices to become presently aware during intersubjective encounters with children in stressful everyday conditions. The embodied practices in the study were inspired by exercises in mindfulness and compassion, which were adjusted according to how the participants experienced their significance. The flexibly adjusted exercises and discourses appeared to provide participants with the mediational embodied and discoursive means to become relationally aware in difficult encounters. Biesta’s conceptualisation of ‘moments of hesitation’ contributes to the discussion of ‘relational awareness’ in education and care.