Life seems different with you around: Differential shifts in cognitive appraisal in the mere presence of others for neuroticism and impression management

• Explored whether personality moderates the effect of social presence on cognitive appraisal.
• In a public context (vs. alone) neuroticism predicted a negative shift in appraisal.
• In a public context (vs. alone) impression management predicted a positive shift in appraisal.
• Evaluation of life events is contingent upon the interaction between person and situation.

How does mere social presence affect cognitive processes? The extant literature has focused on the impact of social presence on cognitive resources. The present study extends this work by focusing on the positivity of cognitive appraisal. Building on recent findings it was predicted that the traits neuroticism and impression management will differentially moderate the effect, such that neuroticism will be associated with a negative shift in appraisal, and impression management with a positive shift. In an experiment, participants (N = 158) formed evaluations of life events either alone or in social presence. The results supported the predictions. The findings advance the knowledge about the effect of social presence on cognition, and about the role of personality in moderating responses in public social contexts.