Social support and the perception of geographical slant

• Published in: Journal of experimental social psychology Vol. 44; no. 5; pp. 1246 - 1255
• Main Authors: Schnall, Simone, Harber, Kent D., Stefanucci, Jeanine K., Proffitt, Dennis R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01-09-2008; Elsevier; Academic Press
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Closeness; Friendship; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Miscellaneous; Perception; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Psychosocial resources; Relationship; Sensory perception; Sight; Slant perception; Social psychology; Social support; Space; Space perception; Studies; Vision; Closeness; Psychosocial resources; Slant perception; Vision; Relationship; Space perception; Social support; Human; Cognition; Psychosocial factor; Mood; Correlation analysis; Land slope; Perception; Tilt; Cognitive bias; Social Sciences & Humanities
• ISSN: 0022-1031; 1096-0465
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jesp.2008.04.011

The visual perception of geographical slant is influenced by
physiological resources, such as physical fitness, age, and being physically refreshed. In two studies we tested whether a
psychosocial resource, social support, can also affect the visual perception of slants. Participants accompanied by a friend estimated a hill to be less steep when compared to participants who were alone (Study 1). Similarly, participants who thought of a supportive friend during an imagery task saw a hill as less steep than participants who either thought of a neutral person or a disliked person (Study 2). In both studies, the effects of social relationships on visual perception appear to be mediated by relationship quality (i.e., relationship duration, interpersonal closeness, warmth). Artifacts such as mood, social desirability, and social facilitation did not account for these effects. This research demonstrates that an interpersonal phenomenon, social support, can influence visual perception.