The effect of prior information on perception of ongoing behavior of others: information processing at the extraction stage

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of prior information on the extraction stage, particularly on the amount of behavior extraction, of information processing when perceiving ongoing behavior of others. In terms of prior information they received, 102 subjects were randomly assigned to three groups: familiarity, desirability, and neutral conditions. Twelve video clips, each about 30 seconds long, of a male stimulus actor in daily life were made. The theme of each clip was one of the three: familiarity, desirability, or activity. The subjects were instructed to form an impression of the male actor, and to press a button when they saw an impression-relevant action and release it when it was over. Results suggested that subjects extracted behavior that was relevant to prior information more frequently, and extraction rates were higher for relevant video clips. However, impression change was found after the observation-extraction task. Hence, it implies that prior information affects the extraction stage, but not the judgment stage, of perceiving ongoing behavior of others.