The Sovereignty of Negative Inferences: Suspicion of Ulterior Motives Does Not Reduce the Negativity Effect

We examined whether inferences from likable versus dislikable behavior are differentially affected by suspicion about ulterior motives of the actor. Using a 2 (Target Behavior: Likable/Dislikable) × 2 (Situational Demands for positive vs. negative behavior) design, we found that a likable target person was evaluated less favorably when his behavior conformed to situational demands than when it deviated from these demands, whereas a dislikable target was evaluated similarly across different situational demands. In contrast to these evaluative ratings, judgments of the person's genuineness as well as reading times indicated that, regardless of whether target behavior was likable or dislikable, when it conformed to situational demands subjects were suspicious of the actor's motives and engaged in more thoughtful processing. We conclude that dislikable behavior can induce suspicion just as other behaviors that conform to situational demands, but this suspicion does not lead subjects to withhold a correspondent trait inference, as is usually the case when ulterior motives are suspected.