Big Two - Understanding the Cognitive Representation of the "Big Two" Dimensions of Social Cognition

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Susanne Bruckmüller
• Subject Area: Social Psychology, Industrial and Organisational Psychology
• Term: from 2017 to 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 381588999

The overarching goal of the proposed line of studies is to further the understanding of agency and communion (also often referred to as competence and warmth or the "Big Two"), two fundamental dimensions that structure perception and judgment of the self, other people, and social groups. Communion reflects the need for connection and positive relations with others and comprises the sub-facets warmth and morality. Agency reflects the need to assert the self and to pursue own goals, comprising the sub-facets of assertiveness and competence. Despite an extensive literature on these two dimensions,little attention has been devoted to the structure of their cognitive representation - even though there are some empirical indications that their representation might be structured differently, and even though such differences in structure would have a number of important consequences for theory and research practice. With this project, we aim to fill this gap. We specifically predict that communion is represented as a more homogeneous and conceptually denser construct than agency (H1). We further propose that, as a result, lay people have different implicit personality theories for agency and communion; more specifically, we predict that communion is represented in a more categorical/ bipolar fashion than agency (H2). That is, we propose that lay people tend to judge communion in an either-or fashion (somebody is either a good person or a bad person). To test these hypotheses,we propose a multi-step research project triangulating a range of different research methods. Specifically, we combine re-analyses of previous data (a meta-analysis of reliability coefficients and structural equation modeling of large-scale survey data) with controlled experiments employing innovative methods, such as spatial arrangement. Conducting parallel studies in Poland and Germany will allow us to gauge the generalizability of findings across languages. In sum, this project will enhance understanding of the Big Two dimensions, will explain some seemingly contradictory previous findings in previous research, and will continue and expand a fruitful collaboration between Polish and German researchers.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Poland
• Cooperation Partners: Dr. Michal Parzuchowski; Professor Dr. Bogdan Wojciszke