Relational aspects of temporary changes in construing self and others.

Abstract

Effects of role-playing contrasting positive and negative moods on the way in which people construe themselves and others were examined. Undergraduates completed a base-line repertory grid in which they categorized themselves and acquaintances on bipolar constructs, e.g., excitable/calm. They assigned others to the unlikeself poles of constructs .apprx. 37% of the time, and to the positive poles .apprx. 63% of the time. They twice repeated this grid while role-playing positive and negative moods. In the negative-mood grid, they characterized both themselves and others more negatively, and construed others as less similar to themselves. In the positive-mood grid, they evaluated themselves and others more positively, and described others as more similar to themselves.