2023
Working Paper
HBS Working Paper Series

Sending Signals: Strategic Displays of Warmth and Competence

By: Bushra S. Guenoun and Julian J. Zlatev

Format:Print
| Language:English
| Pages:72

Abstract

Using a combination of exploratory and confirmatory approaches, this research examines how people signal important information about themselves to others. We first train machine learning models to assess the use of warmth and competence impression management strategies in text data. Then, we evaluate whether these signals actually lead to higher warmth and competence perceptions among observers. Guided by these analyses, we generate hypotheses about how individuals present themselves as warm and competent, which we subsequently test in a new dataset. This process allows us to descriptively examine the effective and ineffective strategies people use to manage impressions, providing evidence for the existence of both novel and previously identified tactics. We end by discussing theoretical and practical implications of our findings and highlighting the benefits of an exploratory approach to using natural language processing to examine psychological phenomena.

Keywords

AI and Machine Learning; Personal Characteristics; Perception; Interpersonal Communication

Citation

Guenoun, Bushra S., and Julian J. Zlatev. "Sending Signals: Strategic Displays of Warmth and Competence." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 23-051, February 2023.