Assimilation-contrast effects in impression formation

Abstract

Anehoring effeets in impression formation were studied as a jimetion of distanee between anehor and test stimulus, and differentüztion of ;udge. Results uniformly laeked support for a pereeptual assimilation-eontrast approach to eontext effeets in that contrast was not assoeiated with either greater distanee between anchor and test or maximum differentiation of judge. Consistent assimilation, or positive context effeets, were supportive of an averaging model analysis of eontext effeets in impression formation.

Context effects in impression formation as a function of context source

“…Anderson (1962Anderson ( , 1966 has described a weighted averaging model of impression formation that predicts that the rating given to a test stimulus is an averaged function of the context-free value of the stimulus and the impression created by the context stimuli. The model predicts only assimilation or positive context effects and has received support in numerous studies (Anderson & Lampel, 1965;Kaplan, 1969).…”