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Briefly induced belongingness to self and preference
Author(s) -
Feys Jos
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
european journal of social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.609
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1099-0992
pISSN - 0046-2772
DOI - 10.1002/ejsp.2420210608
Subject(s) - belongingness , psychology , social psychology , attractiveness , preference , physical attractiveness , object (grammar) , linguistics , psychoanalysis , economics , microeconomics , philosophy
The hypothesis was tested that mere ownership of an object ( in casu an abstract symbol)is a sufficient condition to enhance its attractiveness. The evidence was obtained through experimental manipulation of belongingness rather than in a quasi‐experimental context as was the case with the name letter effect, a preference for letters occurring in the own name above not‐own name letters which has been presented as the first evidence supporting the mere ownership hypothesis. Alternative explanations for the present results in terms of stimulus complexity and mere exposure are briefly presented en ruled out.