Zorn, Tabea J. ORCID: 0000-0002-6313-4749
(2025).
How People's Positive Versus Negative Attributes Shape Impression Formation and Person Perception – A Cognitive-Ecological Perspective.
PhD thesis, Universität zu Köln.
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Dissertation_Tabea J. Zorn.pdf - Accepted Version Download (2MB) |
Abstract
Forming impressions of others is a central part of social life. These impressions already occur when minimal information about another person is available. Impressions of new acquaintances are influenced by their traits and attitudes, which can vary in valence. People can have positive and negative traits and express what they like (i.e., positive attitudes) and what they dislike (i.e., negative attitudes). One central finding of past research is that negative person-related information has a higher impact than positive information on impressions. Such a valence asymmetry is often explained by the idea that negative attributes are more informative. This dissertation approaches valence asymmetries in impression formation from a cognitive-ecological perspective. This perspective suggests that positive information is more frequent and less diverse than negative information in the information ecology. The present work investigates how these structural differences of positive and negative traits and attitudes influence peoples swiping decisions in online dating, interpersonal liking, and anticipated knowledge about other people. The findings suggest that the greater diversity of negative traits makes negative traits more informative for dating decisions than positive traits. However, the same diversity asymmetry makes people’s positive attitudes more informative and revealing than their negative attitudes. This also helps to explain the novel finding that people show greater liking for those who share their positive attitudes compared to those who share their negative attitudes. Such a higher impact of positive attitudes aligns with the cognitive-ecological perspective and contrasts with predictions of previous research and models. This dissertation shows that negative information does not always dominate. It provides a new perspective on valence asymmetries in impression formation and person perception with implications for dating, initial encounters, and the initiation of interpersonal relationships.
Item Type: | Thesis (PhD thesis) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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URN: | urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-755808 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Date: | 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Language: | English | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Faculty: | Faculty of Human Sciences | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Divisions: | Faculty of Human Sciences > Department Psychologie | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Subjects: | Psychology | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Date of oral exam: | 19 March 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Refereed: | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
URI: | http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/75580 |
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