We Want the Same Thing: Projection in Judgments of Sexual Intent
Alison P. Lenton1*,
Angela Bryan2,
Reid Hastie3,
Oliver Fischer4
1 University of Edinburgh
2 University of Colorado at Boulder
3 University of Chicago
4 University of Cambridge
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: a.lenton{at}ed.ac.uk.
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Abstract |
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This article details two studies investigating the proximal role of social projection (i.e., assumed similarity) in judgments of sexual intent. Study 1 demonstrates that men and women who have a greater desire for casual sex are more likely to perceive sexual intent in others. Study 2 replicates this finding in a more realistic context and, further, situates judgments of sexual intent squarely into the cognitive domain, as results show that projection of casual sexual motivation is more likely when the target is similar to the perceiver and when the target’s motivation is relatively ambiguous to begin with.
