Information Processing in Social Context

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9407058 Wyer ABSTRACT This research is part of a continuing investigation of the cognitive processes that mediate the use of information about people and events to make social judgments and decisions. Previous research has focused largely on the interpretation of and reactions to information that is presented out of its social context. Consequently, the factors that underlie the comprehension of and reactions to information that is exchanged in a conversation or in other social situations are not well understood. The present research addresses this question by investigating the determinants of reactions to a particular type of social information-- that which is intended to elicit humor. Specifically, the conditions in which such information has the intended effect as opposed to eliciting other types of reactions (anger, confusion, or no reaction at all) will be investigated. The results will contribute to the understanding of those factors that underlie the identification of statements as witticisms rather than serious attempts to criticize or to convey hostility or prejudice. In its initial stages, (1) the cognitive processes that underlie the comprehension of jokes will be identified, and the situational, informational and individual difference variables that influence these processes will be examined. Then, (2) the processes that underlie the identification of witticisms of the sort that occur in conversations will be investigated. In later phases of the research, the factors that govern the communication and identification of humor in actual social interaction situations will be determined. When information is exchanged in a conversation or in other social situations, its interpretation depends partly on perceptions of why the information is being conveyed (to persuade, to criticize, to entertain, to tease, or simply to transmit new knowledge). It also depends on recipients' prior knowledge about the referent of the information, other communications about the referent that have preceded it, and the communication's source. Depending on this knowledge, information can elicit several different reactions--anger, sadness, or amusement. The factors that determine whether communications, such as sexist or ethnic stories and comments, provoke anger rather than amusement are poorly understood. Yet, the nature of these reactions can be an important mediator of attitudes toward both the referent of the communications and their source. In addition to its theoretical implications for an understanding of humor elicitation and social perceptions, the results of this research will contribute to the understanding of how to minimize miscommunication in social interactions. ***