Browsing by Author "Petty, Richard"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Publication
    Improving attitudes towards minority groups by thinking about the thoughts and meta-cognitions of their members
    (John Wiley and Sons Ltd, 2022-12-12) Martínez, Rocío; Briñol, Pablo; Petty, Richard; Santos, David; https://ror.org/02jjdwm75
    Research on persuasion has shown that for attitudes to change people need to take into consideration not only the thoughts message recipients generate in response to proposals but also how people think about their own thoughts (metacognition). In the present research,we introduce a new perspective for improving outgroup attitudes focused on the distinction between cognition and metacognition but this time applied to the perceptions of others’ minds. Specifically,we examined to what extent thinking about the mental processes of outgroup members influences attitudes towards those outgroups. We compared the impact of thinking about how others think (perceived primary cognition) with how others think about their own thoughts (perceived secondary cognition or metacognition). In the primary cognition treatment,participants answered questions about the thinking processes of outgroup members. In the secondary cognition treatment,participants answered questions that required them to consider how outgroup members think about their own thoughts (i.e.,metacognition). Compared to controls,these treatments were capable of improving attitudes of Spanish citizens towards Syrian refugees,South American immigrants,and Roma people. A third study used a minimal group paradigm in which a fictitious outgroup was described as having primary (vs. secondary) cognition. A final study also tested the implications of assuming that groups have one type of cognition or another. The effects of the two treatments varied depending on the type of outgroup. © 2022 The Authors. European Journal of Social Psychology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Publication
    Power can increase but also decrease cheating depending on what thoughts are validated
    (Academic Press Inc., 2024) Lamprinakos, Grigorios; Stavraki, Maria; Briñol, Pablo; Magrizos, Solon; Petty, Richard; Santos, David; University of Birmingham; Agencia Estatal de Investigación; https://ror.org/02jjdwm75
    Prior research has shown that power is associated with cheating. In the present research,we showcase that higher power can increase but also decrease cheating,depending on the thoughts validated by the feelings of power. In two experiments,participants were first asked to generate either positive or negative thoughts about cheating. Following this manipulation of thought direction,participants were placed in either high or low power conditions. After the two inductions,cheating was measured using different paradigms – assessing cheating intentions in relationships (Study 1) and over reporting performance for monetary gain (Study 2). Relative to powerless participants,those induced to feel powerful showed more reliance on the initial thoughts induced. Consequently,the effect of the direction of the thoughts on cheating was greater for participants with high (vs. low) power. Specifically,high power increased cheating only when initial thoughts about cheating were already favorable but decreased cheating when it validated unfavorable cheating relevant thoughts. © 2023 The Authors