The Role of Visual Perspective in Information Processing

Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 2009, 45.

10 Pages Posted: 8 Mar 2014

See all articles by Yuwei Jiang

Yuwei Jiang

Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Robert S. Wyer

Hong Kong University of Science & Technology (HKUST) - Department of Marketing

Date Written: March 8, 2014

Abstract

Social events can be described from the perspective of either a person in the situation in which the event occurs (e.g., "John came into. . .") or that of an outside observer ("John went into. . ."). We find that when individuals are disposed to form visual images, they have difficulty comprehending both verbal statements and pictures when the perspective from which the event is described differs from the perspective from which they have encountered similar events in daily life. Furthermore, the disposition to form visual images increases the intensity of emotional reactions to an event when the event is described from the perspective of someone in the situation in which it occurs. These effects are not evident, however, among individuals who typically process information semantically without forming visual images.

Keywords: Mental Imagery, Visual Perspective, Language Comprehension, Imagination, Reaction Time, Information Processing, Social Cognition

Suggested Citation

Jiang, Yuwei and Wyer, Robert S., The Role of Visual Perspective in Information Processing (March 8, 2014). Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 2009, 45., Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2406370

Yuwei Jiang (Contact Author)

Hong Kong Polytechnic University ( email )

Hong Kong
China

Robert S. Wyer

Hong Kong University of Science & Technology (HKUST) - Department of Marketing ( email )

Department of Marketing
Clear Water Bay, Kowloon
Hong Kong

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