ABSTRACT
Social judgment is based in large part on nonverbal behavior. Mood can also impact social judgment because of its effect on the breadth of attention. Because mental effort is required to override the automatic nature of social judgment, one might expect people to differ in their willingness to put forth such effort. In contrast, a person with a low need for closure is open to information and different conclusions, and is willing to reconsider his or her judgment when presented with contradictory information or alternative conclusions. Whether people make good use of their executive resources or instead make snap judgments or rely on cognitive heuristics depends in part on the degree to which there is social interdependence with the target of judgment. Social status affects social judgment in another, perhaps more surprising way. There are advantages to maintaining a judgment in the face of new information and other challenges to the accuracy of the judgment.
