What people look for in others: Influences of the perceiver and the perceived on information selection

This research examines how (a) person information (morality vs. competence and positive vs. negative information) and (b) perceiver differences (proso cials vs. proselfs) influence active (Study 1) and more passive (Study 2) f orms of information selection in impression formation. Consistent with the morality-importance hypothesis, the majority of participants first searched for morality information, and overall, participants assigned more attentio n and weight to morality information than to competence information. In lin e with the negativity-effect hypothesis, attention for competence informati on was decreased more after negative than after positive morality informati on, and negative morality information received more weight in impressions t han did positive morality information. Finally, in line with the social-val ue-orientation hypothesis, (a) a greater number of proselfs than of prosoci als searched for additional competence information after morality informati on and (b) proselfs' impressions were affected more strongly by competence information and less strongly by morality information. than prosocials' imp ressions.