Abstract
Fifty-four subjects formed an impression of a stimulus person based upon his one trait, and generated other traits possibly applicable to him. They also rated the likableness value of each of their generated adjectives. The test traits were neutral in likableness value but differed as to their variance. Frequency distribution of the generated traits with respect to their scale value produced a maximum probability function for a neutral trait of low variance and an equal probability function for a neutral trait of high variance. Implied traits thus seemed to be influenced by the variance of the test trait.
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Davis, D., & Ostrom, T. M. Trait implication in impression formation. Paper presented at the 81st annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, Montreal, 1973.
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The author is grateful to Professor Thomas M. Ostrom, who sponsors this paper and takes full editorial responsibility for its content, for his valuable comments on an early version of this paper, and to Professor B. J. Winer for his helpful advice in the data analysis.
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Singh, R. Trait meaning in impression formation as a function of trait variance. Bull. Psychon. Soc. 7, 364–366 (1976). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03337217
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03337217