ACCURACY MOTIVATION ATTENUATES COVERT PRIMING - THE SYSTEMATIC REPROCESSING OF SOCIAL INFORMATION

Three studies tested the hypothesis that assimilation of impressions t o primed constructs is a product of relatively superficial processing and is unlikely to occur when behavioral information about a target pe rson is processed systematically. In Study 1, the impressions of accur acy-motivated Ss did not assimilate to covertly primed trait construct s, although the impressions of unmotivated Ss did. Studies 2 and 3 sho wed that when Ss become accuracy motivated after exposure to target in formation, both retrieval of that information and opportunity for effo rtful processing of it were necessary to eliminate assimilation effect s. In addition, accuracy-motivated Ss showed no special attention to p rimes or awareness of their influence on judgment. Even when one is un aware of the potential biasing influence of primed constructs, they of ten may not bias impression formation, so long as available target inf ormation is processed systematically.