Social Connection Modulates Perceptions of Animacy

Abstract

Human survival depends on identifying targets potentially capable of engaging in meaningful social connection. Using sets of morphed images created from animate (human) and inanimate (doll) faces, we provide converging evidence from across two studies showing that the motivation to connect with other people systematically alters the interpretation of the physical features that signal that a face is alive. Specifically, in their efforts to find and connect with other social agents, individuals who feel socially disconnected actually lower their thresholds for what it means to be alive, consistently observing animacy when fewer definitively human cues are present. From an evolutionary perspective, overattributing animacy may be an adaptive strategy, allowing people to cast a wide net when identifying possible sources of social connection and maximize their opportunities to renew social relationships.

Seeing Minds in Others – Can Agents with Robotic Appearance Have Human-Like Preferences?

“…Attributing mental states to other agents has been shown to result in better cognitive performance in interactions with these agents [ 6 ] and depends on dispositional and situational features of the observer [ 3 , 4 , 14 , 19 ] and on the features of the agent [ 16 , 17 , 20 , 21 ]. In the past, a lot of effort has been put into the development of social artificial agents by providing them with reasoning systems that are based on human cognitive and developmental models [ 27 , 28 ], as well as by investigating cognitive and motivational factors on the observer side that increase the likelihood that human-likeness is ascribed to the agent [ 4 ].…”

“…Likewise, if motivation to engage in social interactions is high (i.e., sociality) or if the individual feels lonely but human interaction partners are not present, the behavior of non-human agents is more likely to be explained in intentional terms compared to conditions when social needs are low [ 11 – 13 ]. Consequently, certain individual traits (i.e., the need to belong) can be considered to be relevant observer features that influence mind attribution by increasing one’s motivation to understand observed agent behavior [ 14 ].…”

Putting Ostracism into Perspective: Young Children Tell More Mentalistic Stories after Exclusion, But Not When Anxious

“…Indeed, other studies have documented that exclusion or a dispositionally high need for inclusion leads individuals to anthropomorphize ambiguous or inanimate agents, thus augmenting the perception of social connection (Epley et al, 2008; Powers et al, 2014). Scholars have speculated that these patterns may assist excluded individuals in seeking solace in imaginary “parasocial” relationships or reflect adjustment of information-processing thresholds after exclusion to seek out new partners in more places (Knowles, 2013; Molden and Maner, 2013).…”

The effects of social exclusion on processing of social information – A cognitive psychology perspective

“…Some studies have found excluded participants to view others particularly positively and as promising sources of reinclusion. It has been shown that exclusion manipulations, compared to control conditions, caused participants to rate others as nicer, friendlier, and more attractive (Maner et al ., , Experiments 3–4), to underestimate physical distance to potential affiliation partners, but not to objects (Knowles et al ., ; Pitts et al ., ), to evaluate inanimate faces as being more animate (Powers, Worsham, Freeman, Wheatley, & Heatherton, ), and to judge a wider range of averted gaze directions as being directed at them (Lyyra, Wirth, & Hietanen, ). Other studies have found an opposite pattern of results reporting that excluded participants viewed social stimuli particularly negatively, instead.…”