Applying ease of retrieval in judgments: The role of contextual background

The study examines the hypothesis that situational coherence moderates the ease-of-retrieval (EOR) effect. The findings reveal that participants rely more on ease of retrieval in making judgments when the situational background fits (rather than does not fit) the dimension of judgment (Experiments 1 and 2). The results further demonstrate that disrupting coherence by focusing participants on a stimulus they tend habitually to ignore also led to similar moderation of the EOR effect (Experiment 3). We conclude with a discussion of the potential moderators of the ease-of-retrieval effect. Our findings cannot be explained by distraction or misattribution-the moderators suggested by past research. Rather, our research emphasizes the importance of the perceived situational background to the understanding of the judgmental processe.