Differential evaluations of likeable and dislikeable behaviours enacted towards superiors and subordinates

Subjects (N = 129) judged the favourability of 20 behaviours enacted toward s either. subordinates or superiors of the actor. Likeable behaviours were evaluated more moderately when they were enacted towards superiors, indicat ing that subjects took into account the possibility that the actor was enga ging in ingratiation. Moderately dislikeable behaviours were evaluated more negatively when they were enacted towards subordinates, suggesting that th eir negative meaning wins strengthened wizen the behavioural tm ger was pow erless. Extremely dislikeable behaviours were evaluated negatively regardle ss of the persons towards whom they were enacted These results suggest that , in interpreting positive and moderate (i.e. ambiguous) behaviours, charac teristics of the behavioural targets are used to determine the actor's inte ntions and, thereby, the evaluative meaning of the behaviour. Copyright (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.