SOCIAL VALUE ORIENTATIONS AND IMPRESSIONS OF PARTNER HONESTY AND INTELLIGENCE - A TEST OF THE MIGHT VERSUS MORALITY EFFECT

This research evaluates the might vs. morality effect (Liebrand, Janse n, Rijken, & Suhre, 1986) by examining whether the manipulation of the perception of partner's honesty and intelligence interacts with the o bserver's own social value orientation to influence the latter's expec tations regarding partner cooperation and own cooperation in a social dilemma. Results reveal that greater cooperation was expected from an honest partner than from a dishonest partner and that this effect was stronger for prosocial Ss than for individualists and competitors. Con versely, individualists and competitors expected greater cooperation f rom an unintelligent partner than from an intelligent partner, whereas prosocial Ss did not expect differences between these partners. Simil ar findings were obtained for own cooperation, although social value o rientations did not interact with partner intelligence.