The warm cold variable in first impressions of persons
- Summarize the purpose of the experiment
The purpose of the experiment is to find out whether the presence of the word warm or the word cold will have an ability to influence the participant, or the first impression visible on people. The participants were able to rate their personal characteristics’ and those of the fictitious persons. As per the group’s conditions, those who participated were told the person is either warm or cold and the other hand neither warm not cold. The participants involved and the group’s condition affected the person’s ratings. Essentially, the social traits of an individual were significant with a person rating and also the tendency to like a person depended on the groups’ conditions. (Byrne & Nelson)
2. List the hypothesis/hypotheses
Asch and Kelley’s findings formed the basis of the hypothesis. The first assumption is that the knowledge of a person on someone’s character traits would affect the person’s overall rating. The second assumption stood on the idea of the first hypothesis in that the actual ratings signified the social ratings. The third one was that the extent to which a person like another depends on the conditions of the group they are in.
3. State any operational definitions, the independent variable(s), and the dependent variable (s)
Independent variable-the participant being warm, neutral, or cold.
Dependent variable- The condition of the group
4. Summarize the results
As from the research study carried out, all the hypotheses were supported. Also, the results were consistent with the findings of Asch and Kelley. As a result, a conclusion can be made that that the traits central to the person such as saying that the individual is “warm” or “cold,” does not have an influence in forming the first impressions on the person.
5. A brief proposal of your variation of the experiment?
The experiment varies when the targeted study is done with the participants’ knowledge. This will affect the results in that the person may try to change their nature.
Works Cited
Asch, S. E. (1946). Forming impressions of personality. Journal of abnormal and social psychology, 41, 258-290.
Byrne, D., & Nelson, D. (1965). Attraction as a linear function of proportion of positive reinforcements. Journal of personality and social psychology, 1, 659-663.
Kelley, H. H. (1950). Personal perception: the warm-cold variable in first impressions of persons. Journal of personality, 18, 431-439.
