TY - JOUR
T1 - The informational basis of social judgments
T2 - Memory for integrated and nonintegrated trait descriptions
AU - Burnstein, Eugene
AU - Schul, Yaacov
PY - 1983/1
Y1 - 1983/1
N2 - The representation of trait descriptions in memory depends not only on the properties of this information (e.g., whether it is consistent) but also on the operations performed on it (e.g., whether it has been integrated). If a set of traits merely has to be comprehended without being integrated (called a discrete judgment), then an inconsistent set is processed just as readily as a consistent one. However, if integration is required, that is, a coherent impression must be formed (called an integrative judgment), consistent trait descriptions are processed more rapidly than inconsistent ones. The effect of such differences in processing on the representation was shown in recognition memory performance: First, following integrative judgment a trait description was more accessible than following a discrete judgment. Second, under integrative judgment, memory for a consistent trait description was no greater than that for an inconsistent description, whereas under discrete judgment, memory for the former was superior to that for the latter. This suggests that when an impression is formed, namely, under integrative judgment, the traits describing a person are associated with each other via prior knowledge, and thus are represented as a unified structure; otherwise each trait is stored as a separate piece of information.
AB - The representation of trait descriptions in memory depends not only on the properties of this information (e.g., whether it is consistent) but also on the operations performed on it (e.g., whether it has been integrated). If a set of traits merely has to be comprehended without being integrated (called a discrete judgment), then an inconsistent set is processed just as readily as a consistent one. However, if integration is required, that is, a coherent impression must be formed (called an integrative judgment), consistent trait descriptions are processed more rapidly than inconsistent ones. The effect of such differences in processing on the representation was shown in recognition memory performance: First, following integrative judgment a trait description was more accessible than following a discrete judgment. Second, under integrative judgment, memory for a consistent trait description was no greater than that for an inconsistent description, whereas under discrete judgment, memory for the former was superior to that for the latter. This suggests that when an impression is formed, namely, under integrative judgment, the traits describing a person are associated with each other via prior knowledge, and thus are represented as a unified structure; otherwise each trait is stored as a separate piece of information.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0011605323&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/0022-1031(83)90004-5
DO - 10.1016/0022-1031(83)90004-5
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AN - SCOPUS:0011605323
SN - 0022-1031
VL - 19
SP - 49
EP - 57
JO - Journal of Experimental Social Psychology
JF - Journal of Experimental Social Psychology
IS - 1
ER -