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Number 1/2006
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The agent vs. recipient perspective in perceiving self and others>
Bogdan Wojciszke
Institute of Psychology, Polish Academy of Sciences
Warsaw School of Social Psychology
Wiesław Baryła
Institute of Psychology
Gdańsk University
Abstract |
We present a model of social perception based on three assumptions: (1) Most
actions may be viewed from divergent perspectives of agent vs. recipient,
(2) People perceive themselves and others in a way that maximizes their
interests and this is done differently in each of the two perspectives,
(3) There are two broad dimensions of content in person perception - agency and
communion. These assumptions allowed the formulation of 12 hypotheses on how
perspective influences: (a) the concern with agentic vs. communal contents in
person perception and attitude formation, (b) relations between perceived interests
and agentic vs. communal contents, and (c) relations between using agentic vs.
communal contents and behavioral pursuit of various interests. Empirical
support for these hypotheses is discussed.
Key words: Social perception, actors, observers, agency, communion
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