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Changes in Impression Complexity Over Time and Across Situations

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, jwelbourne{at}cdc.gov

This set of studies tested the idea that higher levels of acquaintance with an individual would be associated with greater impression complexity. Two aspects of acquaintance were examined: length of relationship and contextual diversity of interactions. In Study 1, participants provided written descriptions of acquaintances known for different lengths of time and at different levels of contextual diversity. Contextual diversity in interactions with an acquaintance was associated with (a) less evaluative and descriptive consistency in impressions, (b) greater contextual differentiation in impressions, and (c) the development of causal theories to explain the acquaintance’s behaviors. In Study 2, impression complexity was assessed using a trait-sort task. Contextual diversity, but not length of relationship, was associated with higher complexity scores.

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