Fear Goliath or David? Inferring competence from demeanor across cultures
We examined cultural differences in people's lay theories of demeanor-how demeanor may be perceived as a straightforward and reliable reflection of reality (convergence theory) or as a deviating reflection of reality (divergence theory). Across different domains of competition, Euro-Canadians p...
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sg-ntu-dr.10356-1448762023-03-05T15:31:53Z Fear Goliath or David? Inferring competence from demeanor across cultures Lee, Albert Ji, Li-Jun Li, Ye Zhang, Zhiyong School of Social Sciences Social sciences::Psychology Culture Inferences of Competence We examined cultural differences in people's lay theories of demeanor-how demeanor may be perceived as a straightforward and reliable reflection of reality (convergence theory) or as a deviating reflection of reality (divergence theory). Across different domains of competition, Euro-Canadians perceived greater competence in an opponent with a competent demeanor, whereas Chinese paradoxically perceived greater competence in an opponent with no signs of competence (Studies 1-4b). The results, unexplained by attributional styles (Study 1), likability (Study 3), or modesty (Study 3), suggest that Euro-Canadians endorse a stronger convergence theory than Chinese in their inferences of competence. Corroborated with qualitative data (Study 4a), such cultural differences were explained by the beliefs that demeanor can be a misleading reflection of reality, verified in college and community (Study 4b) samples. We discuss the implications for social perception, intergroup dynamics, and self-presentation in competitions. Accepted version 2020-12-01T07:58:46Z 2020-12-01T07:58:46Z 2019 Journal Article Lee, A., Ji, L.-J., Li, Y., & Zhang, Z. (2020). Fear Goliath or David? Inferring competence from demeanor across cultures. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 46(7), 1074-1089. doi:10.1177/0146167219893999 0146-1672 https://hdl.handle.net/10356/144876 10.1177/0146167219893999 31889473 7 46 1074 1089 en Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin © 2019 The Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc. All rights reserved. This paper was published in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin and is made available with permission of The Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc. application/pdf |
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Social sciences::Psychology Culture Inferences of Competence Lee, Albert Ji, Li-Jun Li, Ye Zhang, Zhiyong Fear Goliath or David? Inferring competence from demeanor across cultures |
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We examined cultural differences in people's lay theories of demeanor-how demeanor may be perceived as a straightforward and reliable reflection of reality (convergence theory) or as a deviating reflection of reality (divergence theory). Across different domains of competition, Euro-Canadians perceived greater competence in an opponent with a competent demeanor, whereas Chinese paradoxically perceived greater competence in an opponent with no signs of competence (Studies 1-4b). The results, unexplained by attributional styles (Study 1), likability (Study 3), or modesty (Study 3), suggest that Euro-Canadians endorse a stronger convergence theory than Chinese in their inferences of competence. Corroborated with qualitative data (Study 4a), such cultural differences were explained by the beliefs that demeanor can be a misleading reflection of reality, verified in college and community (Study 4b) samples. We discuss the implications for social perception, intergroup dynamics, and self-presentation in competitions. |
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School of Social Sciences |
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School of Social Sciences Lee, Albert Ji, Li-Jun Li, Ye Zhang, Zhiyong |
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Article |
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Lee, Albert Ji, Li-Jun Li, Ye Zhang, Zhiyong |
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Lee, Albert |
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Fear Goliath or David? Inferring competence from demeanor across cultures |
title_short |
Fear Goliath or David? Inferring competence from demeanor across cultures |
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Fear Goliath or David? Inferring competence from demeanor across cultures |
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Fear Goliath or David? Inferring competence from demeanor across cultures |
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Fear Goliath or David? Inferring competence from demeanor across cultures |
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fear goliath or david? inferring competence from demeanor across cultures |
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2020 |
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https://hdl.handle.net/10356/144876 |
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