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The effects of response delay on automatizing self-reports

University of British Columbia

The development of automatic self-presentation was examined through studying the effects of practicing arbitrary self-reports on subsequent honest self-reports. In a replication of Paulhus, Bruce and McKay (1990), subjects practiced self-reports under one of three faking strategies (fake good, fake bad, honest) until they reached high levels of speed and accuracy. Subjects were then asked to respond honestly under two test modes: (1) emphasize speed, and (2) emphasize accuracy. Results replicated the previous findings: Speed instructions yielded more carry-over errors than did accuracy instructions. As before, even the accuracy instructions generated a significant amount of carry-over errors in the fake-good condition. There was also a "rebound effect" for fake-bad subjects: That is, practicing negative responses tended to reduce the subsequent probability of claiming them on the post-test. This study also extended Paulhus et al. by testing the duration of the carry-over effects. To do so, the delay between practice and testing was varied (no delay, 10 minutes, 25 minutes). Results showed no differences among the three delay conditions, indicating that the effect endures over time. The implications of these findings for Automatic and Controlled Self-presentation theory are discussed.

Thesis/Dissertation

application/pdf

2009-01-08

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/3406

Psychology

University of British Columbia

UBCV

DSpace