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Abstract

A study of the effects of construct accessibility on impression formation was conducted to assess the generalizability of priming effects across categories of social judgments. Subjects were primed with positive or negative target-relevant trait terms and were later, in a supposedly unrelated second study, asked to rate a target individual immediately and following a 1-week delay. Priming effects were apparent only after the 1-week delay. There were no effects of prime valence on trait constructs that were related to the semantic content of the prime. Only global impressions were affected by the accessibility manipulation. The effect was discussed in terms of a model that distinguishes the semantic and affective components of constructs. External validity was also addressed. The results generalized to live targets, supporting the external validity of construct accessibility effects. Finally, new evidence was found in support of the consolidation of impressions over time.

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Construct Accessibility and Generalizability Across Response Categories

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