Intergroup Perception of Men and Women with Different Levels of Negative Traits

Abstract

Objectives. The study of male and female intergroup perception in terms of categorization by personal similarity and attractive / repulsive personal traits. Background. Today, the question of the basic factor in the attitudes formation remains highly relevant. Two of the strongest “competitors” claim to this role — homophilia and prosocial traits. Knowing the specific gravity of factors forming the relationship to the Other can help in the developing of effective forecasts for psychological compatibility and impression effects. Study design. A quasi-experimental design was used. Indicators of objective and subjective personal similarity of respondents with the object of perception (in consideration of gender) were regarded as independent variables. The relation to the object (including cognitive, emotional, and behavioral components) was measured as a dependent variable. Participants. 414 students 18—24 years old, 86 male and 328 female. Measurements. Short Dark Triad; Attitude Scale. Stimulus material — video interview with a young man or young woman. Results. The effect of depolarization of the “good” and “bad” objects of the opposite sex was revealed for respondents with a high level of Dark Triad. This regularity is determined by gender specificity, and also “works” differently in the case of different Dark Triad traits and attitude components. Subjective awareness of similarities with the “bad” object leads to the most radical revision of his personal valence. Conclusions. Personal valence of the perceived object plays the key role in attitudes towards the Other. The factor of homophilia plays the secondary role, but in the case of inter-sexual perception it can lead to leveling and even inversion of the “good” and “bad” Other assessments.