The warm–cold variable in impression formation: Evidence for the positive–negative asymmetry

Abstract

A warm–cold difference in impression formation implies a positivity effect of warmth, a negativity effect of coldness or both. Drawing from the positive–negative asymmetry literature, we hypothesized that the person positivity bias governs the warm–cold asymmetry. In Expts land 2, the baseline control condition had intelligence information; the experimental condition had the intelligence information plus either coldness or warmth information. The negativity effect only emerged in attraction and sociability judgments. In Expt 3, participants first judged a stranger in a no‐trait information control condition. Later they rejudged him, after knowing that the stranger was either a cold or a warm person. Although both the positivity and negativity effects emerged, the former was weaker than the latter forming the standard positive–negative asymmetry. Experiment 4 replicated the positive‐negative asymmetry, using a between‐participants design. Person positivity bias, as disclosed by responses to the control condition of no‐trait information, also evoked positive inferences about missing dimension of personality. Clearly, then, the negativity effect only and the positive–negative asymmetry are linked to the ways in which the control condition is created.