Praiseworthiness: Predictors of Positive Interpersonal Judgments

Abstract

Deterministic attitudes, information about a person's background, one's perceived similarity to a target person, and attributions of effort and ability may affect praiseworthiness. Two vignette studies with college student participants were conducted to consider this issue. Based on regression analyses, attributing achievement to effort was the strongest predictor of praiseworthiness across both studies. In addition, evidence for an augmenting effect of an impoverished background on praiseworthiness was found. In the first study, perceived similarity to the target individual and religious-philosophical determinism were also predictors of praiseworthiness, while belief in free will predicted praiseworthiness in the second study. Judgments of praiseworthiness may be tied to a number of factors; among the most important of these are overcoming an impoverished childhood background and the attributed effort required for success.

Up, Down, On, Off? Effects of Camera Decisions on Interpersonal Perception During Videoconferencing

“…Effort is a moralized trait in Western cultures. Individuals exerting more effort are praised (Ogletree et al, 2013) and may be perceived as more honest and virtuous (Amos et al, 2019). In the present study, we defined perceived experience how much task-specific experience or knowledge one has.…”