Date of Graduation

Spring 2017

Degree

Master of Science in Psychology

Department

Psychology

Committee Chair

Michelle Visio

Abstract

This study investigated how the expression of pride shapes perceptions of agency and communality, and how those perceptions differ when the pride expresser is of a certain gender and race. Participants were primed with a scenario featuring a picture of a target varying in race and gender. Participants were then invited to complete a survey assessing their perceptions of agency, communality, leadership competence, and ascribed interpersonal hostility. It was hypothesized that the expression of pride over happiness would rank someone as being more or less agentic, communal, competent in leadership, or interpersonally hostile. It was also hypothesized that black targets would be seen as less agentic, communal and competent in leadership styles than white targets. Lastly, it was hypothesized that black targets would be viewed as more interpersonally hostile than their white counterparts. Overall, participants reported that the targets expressed more pride in the pride conditions, than in the happiness conditions. The results did not confirm any of the hypotheses predictions however, utilizing a broader sample base while increasing the population size (so that is representative of multiple types of industries) could yield different results.

Keywords

agency, pride, interpersonal perceptions, race, gender, emotion expression, leadership competence

Subject Categories

Industrial and Organizational Psychology | Psychology | Social Psychology

Copyright

© Rosalyn A. Miles

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