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Social connection modulates perceptions of animacy.
Powers, Katherine E; Worsham, Andrea L; Freeman, Jonathan B; Wheatley, Thalia; Heatherton, Todd F.
Affiliation
  • Powers KE; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Dartmouth College Department of Psychology, Harvard University kpowers@fas.harvard.edu.
  • Worsham AL; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Dartmouth College.
  • Freeman JB; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Dartmouth College.
  • Wheatley T; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Dartmouth College.
  • Heatherton TF; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Dartmouth College.
Psychol Sci ; 25(10): 1943-8, 2014 Oct.
Article in En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25193944
Human survival depends on identifying targets potentially capable of engaging in meaningful social connection. Using sets of morphed images created from animate (human) and inanimate (doll) faces, we found converging evidence across two studies showing that the motivation to connect with other people systematically alters the interpretation of the physical features that signal that a face is alive. Specifically, in their efforts to find and connect with other social agents, individuals who feel socially disconnected actually decrease their thresholds for what it means to be alive, consistently observing animacy when fewer definitively human cues are present. From an evolutionary perspective, overattributing animacy may be an adaptive strategy that allows people to cast a wide net when identifying possible sources of social connection and maximize their opportunities to renew social relationships.
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Full text: 1 Collection: 01-internacional Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Social Perception / Face / Interpersonal Relations / Motivation Aspects: Equity_inequality Limits: Adolescent / Adult / Female / Humans / Male Language: En Journal: Psychol Sci Journal subject: PSICOLOGIA Year: 2014 Document type: Article Country of publication: United States

Full text: 1 Collection: 01-internacional Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Social Perception / Face / Interpersonal Relations / Motivation Aspects: Equity_inequality Limits: Adolescent / Adult / Female / Humans / Male Language: En Journal: Psychol Sci Journal subject: PSICOLOGIA Year: 2014 Document type: Article Country of publication: United States