Contextual Effects in Impression Formation: Encoding and Contrast

An experiment was performed to investigate the influence on impression formation of two types of contextual effects: encoding, in which context stimuli provide bases for the interpretation and organization of subsequently presented target information, and contrast, in which context stimuli provide bases of comparison and contrast for judgments of encoded target information. Two hundred seventy subjects were instructed to form an impression of a hypothetical target person described by several ambiguous behavioral descriptions. Immediately prior to this impression task, Ss memorized a list of priming (context) traits, some of which were applicable to encoding of the behavioral descriptions (and which were either positive or negative), and some of which were inapplicable (and either positive or negative). Behavioral descriptions pertained to traits that were either highly interrelated (homogeneous) or relatively unrelated (heterogeneous). Some Ss were told that they would be asked to recall the priming list after completing the impression task (expected recall), while the remaining Ss were not informed in advance of this recall task (unexpected recall). Finally, after reading the stimulus paragraph, Ss provided impression judgments and (after an imposed delay) recalled the behavioral descriptions.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2014

Author dc:creator

• Goldstein, Paul David

• Psychology, Social

Identifier

(UMI)AAI8218474

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/69614