Social Judgments, Social Media, and Self-Deprecation Role of Information Source and Valence on Trait and Favorability Judgments

Two experiments examined how perceivers evaluated target individuals based on minimal information as presented in a typical social media post and whether inferences varied as a function of information source (self vs. other) and valence (positive vs. negative). Across experiments, results indicated that targets were: (a) less likely to be rated with traits consistent with behavior and (b) perceived less favorably when positive behavior information was self-generated than when the same information was other-generated. The inclusion of self-deprecating hashtags reduced the source effect of positive information by reducing perceived arrogance and increasing perceived sense of humor of target individuals. Together, these experiments provide greater understanding of the influence of information source, valence, and self-deprecation on trait and favorability judgments in a social media context.