Individual differences in personality can be accounted for, in part, by differences in peoples' memory structures. One area in which such memory structures influence personality is in person perception. Such perception is proposed to make use of personalized schemata -- highly overlearned representations of significant others in people's lives, such as of their parents and relatives. People generate expectations of others' behaviors on the basis of such personalized schemata. For instance, if a father always averts his gaze before beginning an argument, his children may come to identify not only his own averted gaze but also others' similar behavior, as a precursor to an argument. If an individual's personalized schema associates a commonly occurring behavior with, for instance, starting an argument, that individual may always worry that arguments will ensue in the presence of that common behavior. Because such an expectation could lead to anxiety, personality-based memory structures are relevant not only to the study of personality, but to the study of psychopathology such as the anxiety disorders, as well. The present studies use converging operations to demonstrate that personalized schemata are a part of an individual's memory structures and that these exert influence on person-perception. Study 1 is a laboratory study which demonstrates that people are capable of acquiring complex schemata depicting single individuals, and then of applying such schemata to new individuals. Study 2 is a complementary survey study which examines peoples' perceptions (e.g., personalized schemata) of their parents. Study 2 first measures such perceptions and then examines the influence of parental schemata on the perceptions of others. The converging operations of the two studies will permit comparisons of personality processes in laboratory and naturalistic contexts, and provide particularly strong support for those behaviors common to both. Should such support be found, it will enhance theoretical understanding of personality, and, in addition, contribute to the understanding of the etiology of anxiety-related disorders.
| Mayer, J D; Salovey, P; Gomberg-Kaufman, S et al. (1991) A broader conception of mood experience. J Pers Soc Psychol 60:100-11 |
