The Confirmability and Disconfirmability of Trait Concepts Revisited: Does Content Matter?

M. Rothbart and B. Park (1986) demonstrated that, consistent with the common negativity bias, positive traits are difficult to confirm and easy to disconfirm, whereas the opposite is true for negative traits. This article extends their analysis by showing that trait (dis-) confirmability is moderate...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of personality and social psychology 2007-03, Vol.92 (3), p.542-556
Main Authors: Tausch, Nicole, Kenworthy, Jared B, Hewstone, Miles
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Affect
Attitude
Attribution
Attributions
Behavior
Behavioural psychology
Bias
Biological and medical sciences
Confirmation
Emotions
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Human
Humans
Male
Motivation
Perceptions
Personality
Personality Traits
Psychology
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Social attribution, perception and cognition
Social Behavior
Social Perception
Social psychology
Studies
Traits
Citations: Items that cite this one
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Summary:M. Rothbart and B. Park (1986) demonstrated that, consistent with the common negativity bias, positive traits are difficult to confirm and easy to disconfirm, whereas the opposite is true for negative traits. This article extends their analysis by showing that trait (dis-) confirmability is moderated by trait content (warmth vs. competence). Study 1 identifies a trait sample representative of warmth and competence. Study 2 shows a strong negativity effect for warmth and a reduced (or absent) negativity effect for competence. Study 3 examines trait properties related to the behavioral range of the trait possessor and to the motivational goals of the perceiver as predictors of trait (dis-) confirmability. The theoretical and practical implications of the authors' findings are discussed, and avenues for future research are suggested.
ISSN:0022-3514
1939-1315
DOI:10.1037/0022-3514.92.3.542