Abstract
Many traits are goal-derived categories in which the goals associated with the traits help define the typicality structure of the trait categories. Consistent with this hypothesis, subjects’ ratings of the extent to which trait-related behaviors achieved the goals associated with the traits strongly predicted the rated typicality of the behaviors. In addition, the confidence with which people made trait inferences from behaviors was highly predicted by how strongly the behaviors were related to the goals associated with the traits. Goals play a central role in the conceptual coherence of traits and other social categories.
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We wish to thank David Buss for providing us with the behaviors and ratings used in this study.
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Read, S.J., Miller, L.C. & Jones, D.K. Goals in the conceptual coherence of social categories. Bull. Psychon. Soc. 28, 261–267 (1990). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03334019
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03334019