A Walk on the Wild Side? How We Judge Strangers

Longo, Daniela (2025) A Walk on the Wild Side? How We Judge Strangers. Bachelor thesis, Psychology.

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Abstract

This study explores the extent to which humans are socially influenced by dogs in impression formation, particularly when encountering strangers. Drawing on Social Identity Theory, the research examines whether shared identity processes between humans and dogs can affect social judgments. A 2x2x2 factorial design was employed, manipulating cognitive framing (intuitive vs. rational), the type of stranger (complete stranger vs. uniform stranger), and the dog’s reaction (positive vs. negative). Participants (N = 167) read vignettes and rated their impressions of the strangers based on the dog's behaviour. Contrary to expectations, positive dog reactions exerted more influence than negative ones. Although the intuitive framing was predicted to increase susceptibility to influence, framing effects were generally non-significant. However, significant interaction effects showed that dog influence was stronger in unclear contexts (complete strangers), supporting the role of environmental uncertainty in social influence. Exploratory analyses revealed that participants were more empathetic and approving of dogs when their reactions aligned with human expectations, particularly in uniformed encounters. These findings suggest that dogs can meaningfully shape human social judgments, especially under uncertainty, and highlight the role of shared identity in interspecies influence.

Item Type:	Thesis (Bachelor)
Supervisor name:	Spears, R.
Degree programme:	Psychology
Differentiation route:	None [Bachelor Psychology]
Date Deposited:	29 Jul 2025 09:06
Last Modified:	29 Jul 2025 09:06
URI:	http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/5769

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