REACTIONS TO THE FATE OF ONES BRAIN-CHILD AFTER ITS DISCLOSURE

After generating an idea we believe is original, we want it to be cred ited as original and receive recognition for it. So, we would be upset if its originality were questioned, or if our link to that intellectu al self-extension were threatened, and we would cope with self-protect ive strategies. This rationale prompted an experiment with seventy-fiv e female undergraduates. They (P) were to imagine drafting a paper for submission to a national creativity fair proposing a novel method for determining the structure of things, but then decided against submitt ing it. Fellow-participant, O, learning of P's decision to withdraw, b orrows P's draft. Later, P submits a revised, retitled draft that, unf ortunately, goes astray. Still later P discovers that O, without P's k nowledge and consent, submitted a copy of P's original draft to the fa ir, listing O's name, both names, or P's name as author(s), and that t he idea was or was not judged as original. Origination and recognition credit allocation had predicted effects on P's emotional reaction, ev aluation of the judges' competence, and of O's trustworthiness. Unexpe ctedly low self-evaluated creativity and sociability, and low desire f or future collaboration, were obtained when recognition went to P and O jointly. We discuss the applicability of belief agreement-attraction and cognitive balance models, of imitation as flattery, of self-estee m as a moderator, and whether our results are culture-bound. Finally, we note how the reactions hint at conflict between inclinations toward altruism versus narcissistic self-interest when it comes to sharing o ne's self-generated intellectual products with others.