Context Effects at Encoding and Judgment in Consumption Settings

The Role of Cognitive Resources

Datos Bibliográficos

ID2192303
AutoresJoan Meyers‐levy (University of Chicago), Alice M Tybout (Northwestern University)
Año1997
Volumen24
Número1
Páginas1-14
Fecha de publicación1997-06-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessNo
TipoARTICLE
RevistaJournal of Consumer Research (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0093-5301 • E-ISSN: 1537-5277
EditorialOxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1086/209490
OpenAlexW1967436996
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas21

When consumers learn about a new product, cues in the surrounding context have been found to bias their response to the product in two ways. In some instances, judgments of the product are assimilated toward the affect or descriptive implications associated with the context, whereas in other circumstances, responses are contrasted with or adjusted away from the context. We examine how cognitive resources influence whether assimilation or contrast occurs and when such context effects are reflected in subsequent judgments. Building on a model developed by Martin and his colleagues, we propose that assimilation will occur spontaneously during encoding. Contrast will occur only when this contextual influence is viewed as inappropriate and efforts to partial out the context result in overcorrection. These encoding effects of context should be evident in later judgments when the nature of either the judgment task or consumers' predisposition toward effortful thought encourage retrieval of the context-encoded information. The results of two experiments support our predictions and lead to a modified version of Martin's model. In this model, the cognitive resources available at encoding determine the type of context effect and the cognitive resources at judgment determine whether the encoding effect of context will be reflected in product evaluations

Affect (linguistics) · Cognition · Cognitive psychology · Context (archaeology) · Context effect · Contrast (vision) · Encoding (memory) · Product (mathematics) · Artificial Intelligence · Communication · Computer Science · Consumer Behavior in Brand Consumption and Identification · Neuroscience · Psychology · Social Psychology