Citation

Rogers KB. Soc. Psychol. Q. 2018; 81(2): 149-172.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, American Sociological Association, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0190272518767615

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Affect control theory shows how cultural meanings for identities and behavior are used to form impressions of events and guide social action. In this research, I examine whether members of the same culture tend to process social events in the same way, with a focus on U.S. English speakers. I find widespread consensus in the mechanisms of impression formation, particularly for judgments of evaluation (goodness, esteem), but also find sufficient individual differences to warrant further study for models of potency (power, dominance) and object impressions (feelings about the target of a behavior).

FINDINGS support long-standing claims that members of U.S. English language culture, especially cultural experts, tend to process social events in the same way. However, I find no significant gender differences in event processing. I close the paper by estimating and interpreting new impression change equations using methodological techniques appropriate to the degree of consensus found for each model.

Language: en