Abstract
Previous research has demonstrated abstract concepts associated with spatial location (e.g., God in the Heavens) could direct visual attention upward or downward, because thinking about the abstract concepts activates the corresponding vertical perceptual symbols. For self-concept, there are similar metaphors (e.g., “I am above others”). However, whether thinking about the self can induce visual attention orientation is still unknown. Therefore, the current study tested whether self-reflection can direct visual attention. Individuals often display the tendency of self-enhancement in social comparison, which reminds the individual of the higher position one possesses relative to others within the social environment. As the individual is the agent of the attention orientation, and high status tends to make an individual look down upon others to obtain a sense of pride, it was hypothesized that thinking about the self would lead to a downward attention orientation. Using reflection of personality traits and a target discrimination task, Study 1 found that, after self-reflection, visual attention was directed downward. Similar effects were also found after friend-reflection, with the level of downward attention being correlated with the likability rating scores of the friend. Thus, in Study 2, a disliked other was used as a control and the positive self-view was measured with above-average judgment task. We found downward attention orientation after self-reflection, but not after reflection upon the disliked other. Moreover, the attentional bias after self-reflection was correlated with above-average self-view. The current findings provide the first evidence that thinking about the self could direct visual-spatial attention downward, and suggest that this effect is probably derived from a positive self-view within the social context.
Highlights
“Look down and see the beggars at your feet, look down and show some mercy if you can.” - - - - - - -From Les Miserables
The main effect of Position was significant [F(1,41) = 19.265, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.320], with faster responses to the targets at the lower position than those at the upper position (p < 0.001). This effect of Position was significant for both self (t(41) = 2.440, p = 0.019, d = 0.379, 95% confidence interval of the difference (CI) = [−0.0243, −0.0090]), and friend (t(41) = 4.393, p < 0.001, d = 0.678, 95% CI = [−0.0170, −0.0016]; Figure 2A)
The differential reaction times (RTs) to targets at up vs. down positions for individual subjects are demonstrated in Supplementary Figure S1
Summary
“Look down and see the beggars at your feet, look down and show some mercy if you can.” - - - - - - -From Les Miserables. Using pictorial stimuli, Schubert (2005) showed that power was aligned to a vertical schema, in which a powerful agent (e.g., master) is on top of a powerless one (e.g., servant) These findings demonstrate that abstract concepts with implicit spatial information could trigger automatic visuospatial attention orientation toward locations compatible with their meanings. While for the self-concept, the “above average” cognitive bias for the self and look “down” upon others during social comparison reminds us of the higher position in which we exist relative to others within the social group This raises the questions of whether thinking about the “self ” directs visuospatial attention, and if so, in which direction (up or down) attention is oriented. We hypothesized that thinking about the self would direct visual attention downward
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