From Misperception to Social Connection: Correlates and Consequences of Overestimating Others' Social Connectedness

A.V.  Whillans; C.  Christie; S.  Cheung; A.H.  Jordan; F.S.  Chen

Article | Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin | December 2017

From Misperception to Social Connection: Correlates and Consequences of Overestimating Others' Social Connectedness

by A.V. Whillans, C. Christie, S. Cheung, A.H. Jordan and F.S. Chen

Abstract

Two studies document the existence and correlates of a widespread social belief, wherein individuals who have recently moved to a new social environment see their peers as more socially connected than they themselves are. In Study 1, the prevalence of this belief was documented in a large sample of first-year students (N=1099). In Study 2, the prevalence of this social belief was replicated in a targeted sample of university students (N=389). Study 2 also documented both positive and negative implications of this belief. Specifically, at any given time, students who believed that their peers were more socially connected than they themselves were reported lower well-being and belonging. Over time, however, the belief that one’s peers are moderately more socially connected than oneself was associated with more friendship formation.

Keywords: social comparison; interpersonal relationships; well-being; Perception; Relationships; Familiarity; Happiness;

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Whillans, A.V., C. Christie, S. Cheung, A.H. Jordan, and F.S. Chen. "From Misperception to Social Connection: Correlates and Consequences of Overestimating Others' Social Connectedness." Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 43, no. 12 (December 2017): 1696–1711. (Pre-published online, September 2017.)

Poverty entails more than a scarcity of material resources—it also involves a shortage of time. To examine the causal benefits of reducing time poverty, we will conduct a longitudinal field experiment in an urban slum in Kenya with a sample of working mothers, a population who is especially likely to experience severe time poverty. Participants will receive vouchers to use on services designed to reduce their burden of unpaid labor. The effect of these vouchers will be compared against in-kind vouchers that do not save time, equivalently valued unconditional cash transfers, and a neutral control condition. Using a pre-post design, we will measure whether time-saving vouchers influence subjective well-being and perceived stress. Additionally, we will explore the causal effects of reducing time poverty on cognitive functioning and economic decision making. This research tests a new model of economic aid that recognizes both financial and temporal constraints.

Working Paper | HBS Working Paper Series | 2018

The Contrasting Effects of Performance Incentives: How Exposure to Incentives Shape Social Interactions Within and Outside Organizations.

Julia Hur, Alice Lee-Yoon and Ashley V. Whillans

Employees today report being too busy to talk with their friends and family, even though the number of hours that employees work has remained relatively constant over the last five decades. To explain this paradox, we explore the role of incentive systems in shaping how employees think about and allocate time to their social relationships. Across 4 studies (n = 132,139), we examine how exposure to performance incentives shape employees’ social interactions. Results from one archival dataset, one panel survey, and two experiments show that when employees’ pay is contingent on performance, they prioritize spending time with work ties at the sacrifice of spending time with personal ties. We also document a mechanism for these results: employees who are rewarded for their performance perceive work ties as more instrumental. These results are strongest when performance incentives are based on peer evaluations and administered to employees (vs. managers). These findings provide the first empirical evidence incentives shape employees’ social interactions both within and outside of the workplace, potentially providing a novel explanation for the dissolution of familial and close ties in North America.

Keywords: Performance incentives; work-family boundary management; instrumentality; emotions; lonelines;

Citation:

Hur, Julia, Alice Lee-Yoon, and Ashley V. Whillans. "The Contrasting Effects of Performance Incentives: How Exposure to Incentives Shape Social Interactions Within and Outside Organizations." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 19-050, October 2018. View Details

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When making major life decisions—such as choosing what to do after graduation—is it better to prioritize time or money? In a pre-registered longitudinal study of 1,232 graduating university students, respondents who valued time over money chose more intrinsically rewarding activities and were happier one year after graduation. These results remained significant controlling for baseline happiness, potential confounds such as materialism and socioeconomic status, and when using alternative model specifications. These findings extend prior research by showing that the tendency to value time over money is not only predictive of daily consumer choices, but also of major life decisions. Additionally, this research clarifies the direction of the observed associations between valuing time and money and happiness, showing that valuing time over money uniquely contributes to well-being, in part by encouraging intrinsic motivation. Together, this work sheds new light on whether, when and how valuing time shapes happiness.

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From Misperception to Social Connection: Correlates and Consequences of Overestimating Others' Social Connectedness

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