Abstract

Three studies support the conclusion that a contextual prime can influence evaluations of a target from a different category, and that the effect is moderated by the decision maker's expertise in the target category, and the accessibility of the contextual prime. In a base condition, experts exhibit an assimilation effect and novices a comparison contrast. Increasing the accessibility of the prime prompts a correction contrast effect among experts and an assimilation effect among novices. A reduction in the resources available for processing the highly accessible prime results in experts engaging in assimilation and in novices exhibiting a comparison contrast. These findings are explained in terms of an interpretation and a comparison process.