DIFFERENTIAL CONSEQUENCES OF TRAIT INFERENCES - A DIRECT TEST OF THE TRAIT-REFERENT HYPOTHESIS

The hypothesis was investigated that when trait inferences refer to ab stract behaviour labels (i.e. 'conceited') they act as a general inter pretation frame and lead to assimilation in subsequent judgments of an ambiguous target, whereas when they refer to specific actor-trait lin ks (i.e. 'Peter is conceited') the activated information is likely to be used as a scale anchor and contrast effects are more likely. Compar ed to previous studies investigated the consequences of trait inferenc es, this 'trait-referent' hypothesis was tested in a relatively direct way. Target judgments of participants instructed that trait-implying sentences described a 'behaviour' showed assimilation, whereas judgmen ts of participants instructed that these sentences described a 'person ' showed contrast.