This study investigated how the order of positive and negative traits presented in descriptions affected how likeable hypothetical individuals were rated. Participants heard descriptions of 3 individuals with traits presented in different orders - positive to negative, negative to positive, or randomized. The researchers expected those with positive traits first to be rated most likeable but found no significant effect of trait order on ratings. While past research found a primacy effect, this study with paragraph descriptions found trait order did not influence likeability ratings.

2. Through the use of descriptors, first impressions are often formed before even meeting a person. With consideration to the effects of primacy and recency, this experiment aimed to investigate the effects of the order of descriptive characteristics on the likeability of theoretical individuals.

3. These measurements of liking were made following the oral presentation of descriptive paragraphs containing 15 adjectives in varying orders: positive traits to negative traits, negative traits to positive traits, and randomized order.

4. We expected that hypothetical individuals who have descriptions containing positive traits presented first and negative traits presented last would receive higher likeability ratings than those with negative traits presented first and positive traits presented last.

5. Our research concluded that there is no significant effect of trait order in descriptive paragraphs of individuals on likeability ratings.

6. Based on a one-way ANOVA, we did not find a significant effect on likeability ratings based on the order in which traits were presented for any of the hypothetical individuals at an alpha level of α = 0.05.

7. For “Jack”, F(2, 35) = 0.036, p = 0.964

8. For “Andy”, F(2, 35) = 0.511, p = 0.604

11. Simplify the randomization process:

12. Investigate the effect of gender on likeability depending on the sex of the participant – males or females may rate the same or opposite sex higher or lower.

13. Make descriptive paragraphs flow – some of the descriptions were choppy and contradicting.

15. Asch (1946) investigated impression formation in a series of ten experiments that found that people attempt to combine qualities to form an impression of the whole person. The primacy effect theorizes that information presented first has the greatest impact on the overall impression. Asch found a primacy effect when subjects were presented with short list of adjectives of different order.

16. Research by Anderson (1968) as well as Bochner and Van Zyl (1985) explored how people perceived different adjectives individually and produced social desirability ratings for each word. These studies provided lists of adjectives that have established tested positive or negative connotations as well as meaningfulness to the population.

17. An experiment by Stewart (1965) explored the primacy effect described by Asch but also investigated the recency effect, which essentially hypothesizes the opposite. The recency effect holds that the last information in a series has the most importance to people. Stewart investigated impressions of lists of adjectives as a whole, which yielded a primacy effect; as well as impressions after each adjective was read, which yielded a recency effect.

19. Participants included 13 males and 25 females, aged between 18 and 22.

20. Because we presented information orally, we could not accept participants with severe hearing impairments.

22. We then orally presented the descriptions of each individual to the participants and asked the participants to rate them on a scale of -4 to +4, excluding a 0 rating.

23. Participants were separated into three groups and were given a different order of description (see Table 1).Author Contact Contact: Derek Kolligian, dtk001@marietta.edu Josh Mickle, jam005@marietta.edu Kala Hall, kmh006@marietta.edu CharliPhilpott, cjp002@marietta.edu Psychology Department Marietta College 215 Fifth St, Marietta, OH 45750 Figure 3 References Anderson, N.H. (1968). Likableness ratings of 555 personality-trait words. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 9(3), 272-279. Asch, S. E. (1946). Forming impressions of personality. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 41(3), 258-290. Bochner S., & Van Zyl T. (1985). Desirability ratings of 110 personality-trait words. The Journal of Social Psychology 125 (4), 459-466. Stewart, R. H. (1965). Effect of continuous responding on the order effect in personality impression formation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1(2), 161-165. Figure 4 Table 2 Table 1