ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8502-8816; Nauroth, Peter; Richter, Tobias
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0467-9044 and Gollwitzer, Mario
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4310-4793
(2022):
Non-strategic detection of identity-threatening information: Epistemic validation and identity defense may share a common cognitive basis.
In: PLOS ONE
17(1), e0261535
[PDF, 738kB]
Abstract
Readers use prior knowledge to evaluate the validity of statements and detect false information without effort and strategic control. The present study expands this research by exploring whether people also non-strategically detect information that threatens their social identity. Participants (N = 77) completed a task in which they had to respond to a “True” or “False” probe after reading true, false, identity-threatening, or non-threatening sentences. Replicating previous studies, participants reacted more slowly to a positive probe (“True”) after reading false (vs. true) sentences. Notably, participants also reacted more slowly to a positive probe after reading identity-threatening (vs. non-threatening) sentences. These results provide first evidence that identity-threatening information, just as false information, is detected at a very early stage of information processing and lends support to the notion of a routine, non-strategic identity-defense mechanism.
Item Type: | Journal article |
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Faculties: | Psychology and Education Science > Department Psychology > Social Psychology |
Subjects: | 100 Philosophy and Psychology > 150 Psychology |
URN: | urn:nbn:de:bvb:19-epub-108269-2 |
ISSN: | 1932-6203 |
Language: | English |
Item ID: | 108269 |
Date Deposited: | 01. Dec 2023, 10:39 |
Last Modified: | 15. Jan 2024, 11:34 |