Facial-Feature Resemblance Elicits the Transference Effect

In transference, a perceiver’s representation of a significant other is activated and used to interpret and respond to a new target person who bears some resemblance to the particular significant other. Integrating research on face perception and transference, we hypothesized that transference can occur on the basis of the resemblance of a target’s facial features to those of a perceiver’s significant other. Experimental results supported this hypothesis. Manipulating an upcoming interaction partner’s facial features to resemble those of participants’ significant other led participants to make representation-consistent inferences about and evaluations of the partner. Moreover, participants undergoing transference experienced shifts in their self-concept, so that they described themselves more like the person they are when with the relevant significant other. The results represent the first evidence of transference processes occurring through facial-feature resemblance. Implications for research on impression formation, social cognition, and emotions are discussed.