INDIVIDUAL-DIFFERENCES IN SOCIAL CATEGORIZATION - THE INFLUENCE OF PERSONAL NEED FOR STRUCTURE ON SPONTANEOUS TRAIT INFERENCES

Because 1 function of categorization is to provide structure and control to social interactions and because individuals differ in the extent to which they desire control and structure, individual differences in personal need for structure (PNS) should moderate the extent to which people categorize. Spontaneous trait inferences (STIs) were used to assess the use of traits in categorization. High-PNS Ss were more likely to form STIs and more likely to recall names of target actors in the stimulus sentences. This research provides evidence for the organization of behavioral information in person nodes in circumstances where processing goals did not explicitly request such organization. It also provides a link between the examination of chronic sources of motivation and social categorization, perhaps the most fundamental social-cognitive variable.