Revising an Impression of Morality

Two studies investigated the negativity effect in impression formation. Subjects formed an impression of a stimulus person's morality, based on an initial sample of behavior. After indicating an initial impression, subjects received a final behavioral item. This final item described either a very moral or a very immoral act that was always inconsistent with the initial impression. Subjects then gave a revised impression. In line with past research, impressions tended to undergo greater change following the addition of an (inconsistent) immoral rather than moral behavior. Of greater interest was the fact that the addition of an inconsistent immoral behavior also resulted in relatively long response time. These patterns characterized revised impressions based on both moderate and polarized initial impressions. Schematic and piecemeal models of processing are discussed as possible theoretical explanations of the findings.