The Benny Hill effect

Switching cognitive programmes underlying subjective estimations of the outcomes of bargains concerning distributions of rewards

Bibliographic Data

ID10901439
AuthorsGuido Peeters (0000-0001-5255-3019, KU Leuven, corresponding author)
Year1987
Volume17
Issue4
Pages465-481
Publication date1987-10-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueEuropean Journal of Social Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0046-2772 • E-ISSN: 1099-0992
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/ejsp.2420170406
OpenAlexW2085788323
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited5

The pun of a sketch from the Benny Hill show was related to a switch of cognitive in formation processing programmes underlying the interpretation of the scene represented. The audience would be biased to interpret it following a cognitive programme anchored on the constructs self and other (SO‐programme), while Benny Hill makes a statement that would impose a cognitive programme anchored on constructs associated with the third pronominal person (3P‐programme). In an experiment it was attempted to make subjects to switch from SO‐ to 3P‐programmes (Benny Hill effect) when they were making subjective estimations of outcomes of bargains concerning distributions of rewards. The hypothesis was confirmed that the 3P‐programme was activated by providing additional in formation pertaining to substantiate the stimulus persons in such a way as to make them stand out as anchors for the processing of the in formation. However, the data showed also that the mere substantiation of stimulus persons was not yet sufficient to produce the given shift of cognitive programmes. The results are discussed in the light of theories concerning fairness, social values and allocation rules

Cognition · Cognitive psychology · Interpretation (philosophy) · Linguistics · Sketch · Stimulus (psychology) · Computer Science · Psychology · Social and Cultural Dynamics · Social Psychology

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