COMMITMENT AND EXPERIENCE AS DETERMINANTS OF ASSIMILATION AND CONTRAST

Tested a formulation of specifying the conditions conducive to contrast or to assimilation by having 84 male undergraduates make preference or attribute judgments on stimuli presented in ascending, descending, or random order, and in the context of having made or not having made a prior decision about relevant aspects of the origins of the stimuli. Within-subjects contrast effects were obtained in attribute and preference judgments, while the commitment induction yielded assimilation effects. Comparisons made between Ss showed that contrast effects occurred in the early phase of the experiment in uncommitted Ss, while assimilation effects were most evident during the later phase in committed Ss. Neither contrast nor assimilation was found during the 1st phase in committed Ss, nor during the 2nd phase in uncommitted Ss. Results are interpreted as generally supporting the theoretical formulation. (23 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1969 American Psychological Association.