Social projection to liked and disliked targets: The role of perceived similarity

•Perceived similarity accounts for much of the effect of target valence on projection.•Target valence does influence projection when targets are also perceived as similar.•Positive mood increases the amount of projection (relative to stereotyping) for liked targets.•Positive mood increases the amount of stereotyping (relative to projection) for disliked targets.

Some accounts of social projection view it as an essentially cognitive phenomenon, prompted by the need for a relatively low-effort way to arrive at inferences about others. Other accounts argue that projection is motivated by self-enhancement and self-protection concerns. This investigation evaluates these accounts by having participants make inferences about liked and disliked real-world targets. In Studies 1 and 2, participants projected more to liked than disliked targets, supporting a motivational account; however, when perceived similarity was accounted for, this difference disappeared, supporting the cognitive account. In Study 3 participants made inferences about targets who varied along both the valence and similarity dimensions; there was greater projection to all similar targets, but target valence only influenced projection if the targets were also seen as similar. The implications of these findings are discussed.