Inferring Goals and Traits From Behaviors: The Role of Culture, Self-Construal, and Thinking Style

Abstract

People make spontaneous inferences from others' behaviors, such as spontaneous trait inferences (STIs) and spontaneous situation inferences (SSIs). People's behaviors, however, are shaped by their goals as well, which are determined by their internal characteristics (e.g., traits) and by contextual factors (e.g., social roles). In three studies, we examined whether self-construal, culture, and holistic thinking were associated with spontaneous goal inferences (SGIs) and STIs. We found that the more people defined themselves interdependently and viewed the causality of events holistically, the more they made SGIs (Study 1). Moreover, Asian American participants (interdependent) made SGIs but no STIs from people's behaviors, whereas European American participants (independent) made both (Study 2). Finally, participants primed with interdependence made SGIs but no STIs, whereas those primed with independence made both (Study 3). This research is the first to examine SGIs in relation to self-construal, culture, and holistic thinking.