In this article we first review research relevant to current models of assimilation and contrast effects. Second, we introduce a new theoretical model that specifies how preconscious and postconscious processes jointly contribute to the occurrence of assimilation and contrast effects. Furthermore, a central tenet of our model is that the perceiver's information-processing goals (expediency and accuracy goals) regulate these preconscious and postconscious processes, and they thus play an important role in moderating the magnitude of assimilation and contrast effects. We propose that our new theoretical model provides a parsimonious account for existing findings and derives a number of novel hypotheses to be tested by empirical research.
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