The Role of Perceived Trustworthiness in Mimetic Desires

Several recent studies (Bayliss, Frischen, Fenske, & Tipper, 2007; Bayliss, Paul, Cannon, & Tipper, 2006; Corneille, Mauduit, Strick, & Holland, 2009) showed that stimuli are evaluated more favorably when they are perceived to be objects of attention in others. Except for emotional expression, little is known about how target characteristics moderate this mimetic desire effect. The present research examined the role of target trustworthiness in this effect. Fifty-five psychology students (Mage= 19.55, SD=.90) saw associations of video excerpts of a three-dimensional trustworthy and an untrustworthy face (Oosterhof & Todorov, 2008) associated with 4 neutral art paintings on a computer screen. The two faces turned their attention towards one of the paintings and away from another one, respectively. After exposure, pictures were evaluated. Results revealed that participants preferred looked-at-paintings when they were associated with a trustworthy (M=6.38, SD=1.87) rather than an untrustworthy face (M=4.60, SD=2.02), t(55)=4.47, p<.001. In sharp contrast, looked-away-paintings were liked better when associated with an untrustworthy (M=6.31, SD= 1.97) rather than a trustworthy face (M=4.75, SD=2.36), t(55)=3.14, p<.004. Implications for associative learning processes are discussed