In Search of Information That Confirms a Desired Self-Perception: Motivated Processing of Social Feedback and Choice of Social Interactions

TLDR

These processes, oriented toward social and interpersonal aspects of the self, complement prior intrapersonal motivated self‑perception research. The studies examined how the desire to view oneself positively influences feedback seeking and social preferences, including preferences for feedback sources. Study 1 manipulated beliefs that extraversion or introversion predicts success and then gave participants false feedback on these traits, while Study 2 assessed participants’ preferences for others who would provide such feedback. Participants who believed extraversion leads to success recalled extraversion feedback more accurately and preferred others who saw them as extraverted, whereas those who believed introversion leads to success recalled introversion feedback better and preferred others who saw them as introverted, indicating reliance on others’ perceptions to achieve desired self‑perception.

Abstract

The present studies examined how the motivation to see oneself as characterized by desirable attributes may influence feedback seeking and social preferences. In Study 1, participants were first led to believe that extraversion or introversion is conducive of success. Next, they received false feedback about themselves, related to extraversion and to introversion. In a surprise recall, extraversion-success participants remembered extraversion feedback more accurately and introversion feedback less, compared to introversion-success participants. Study 2 examined preferences for others as potential sources of feedback. The findings revealed that extraversion-success participants preferred others who perceived them as extraverted, whereas introversion-success participants preferred others who perceived them as introverted. Thus, people appear to rely on how others regard them to realize a desired self-perception. These processes, oriented more toward social and interpersonal aspects of the self, complement the more intrapersonal processes of motivated self-perception studied in the past.