Lunch Date

Influences on Perception


Implicit Personality Theory
If someone shows characteristics in some areas, it's assumed they have similar characteristics as well.

• The silent bum. His personal hygiene contributes to the implication that he’s deficient in other areas as well.
• The man is unshaven, hygienically challenged, and (illiterate or self-sufficient).
• The woman is proper, well to do, and (open-minded or assuming).

Self-fulfilling Prophesy
The Belief Stage

• Once her stimuli was organized the lady may have believed, “That bum’s eating my chicken salad.”
• And the same with the man when the lady sits across from him, “She’s gotta be hard up.”
  

Acting on the Prediction or Belief

• The lady confronts the man by sitting across from him.
• The man shares his chicken salad with the lady.

The Prediction or Belief Becomes Validated

• “He’s still eating, I knew he was a bum.”
• “She’s eating my chicken salad, she’s hard up.”

The Prophesy Fulfilled

• “He’s a bum.”
• "She’s hard up.”

Primacy-Recency Effect
The bum is unkempt, spontaneous, funny, intelligent and hopeless.

Stereotype
Prejudices. If you’re a smelly, unkempt, black male somewhere in his forties you risk the stereotype of being homeless.

Attribution
Assigning motive to action. The bum sitting at the table, the attribution is the guy can't pay so he's stealing the lunch.