Perceivers read intentions into cohesive groups more than loose aggregates

Evidence

The results from the Teramae and Karasawa study (2008) are consistent with findings by O’Laughlin and Malle (2002). These researchers revealed that reason explanations were more prevalent in interpretations of behaviors that were observed in jointly acting group members (e.g., the department faculty at a particular university planning to introduce a new curriculum requirement), relative to what was observed in loosely connected aggregates (e.g., department chairpersons in the United States planning a new curriculum requirement). In contrast, CHR explanations were more prevalent for the latter than the former type of group. A rationale behind this study was that a mental state as a premise of intention should be more likely to be assumed for the Figure 2. — Roderick M. Kramer, Geoffrey J. Leonardelli, Robert W. Livingston, Social Cognition, Social Identity, and…, 155

Categorization

• XREF: Parallels research on entitativity (Campbell, Hamilton & Sherman) and how perceived group cohesion drives intentional attributions.