Trait- versus process-focused social judgment

In this article, we show how people's implicit theories about the nature of human attributes predict trait- vs. process-focused social judgments. We present research demonstrating that those who conceive of human attributes as fixed entities (entity theorists) tend to infer global traits more readily and strongly from behavior and to see these traits as explanations for behavior. In contrast, those who conceive of attributes as malleable or increasable qualities (incremental theorists) are more likely to focus on more specific mediating processes (goals, needs, emotion states). Entity and incremental theorists' differential focus on traits versus processes in understanding their social world also fosters different reactions to the same social information. Findings are presented across intellectual, moral, and social domains and in terms of self-perception, perception of individual others, and perception of groups. Broader implications for research on social perception are discussed.