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.
Keywords: social perception, actors, observers, agency, communion
Cite this article as:
Wojciszke, W., Baryła, B. (2006). The agent vs. recipient perspective in perceiving self and others. Psychologia Społeczna, 1, 9-32.