Two studies addressed the differential impact of unexpected positive versus negative behaviors on trait ratings and free response impression descriptions, using a 2 (Expected Likability) x 2 (Consistency of Subsequent Behavior) design. Unexpected negative behaviors had more impact than unexpected positive behaviors. In Experiment 1, this negativity effect was produced by an increase in ratings on negative traits, rather than a decrease on positive traits. In Experiment 2, unexpected negative behaviors produced an increase in the number of negative traits mentioned in impression descriptions, as well as a decrease in the number of positive traits, suggesting that negative behaviors reduced the accessibility of positive traits. Unexpected positive behaviors increased the number of conditional qualifiers attached to positive attributes, indicating more elaboration in the impressions. Results illustrate that there is more to negativity effects than is revealed by global evaluative ratings.
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