SITUATION-SPECIFIC EFFECTS IN PERSON MEMORY

Given that most person memory models have concentrated on trait expect ancies, and have ignored situational ones, this article attempts to sh ow that new predictions can arise from an explicit focus on the situat ion. Participants were led to believe that a target person was Kind or unkind either at work or at home. They were subsequently presented wi th congruent and incongruent behavioral items ostensibly performed by the target person in each of these settings. Consistent with the notio n that people form situation-specific expectancies, incongruent behavi ors were better recalled than, congruent ones, but only if they pertai ned to the situation specified in the expectancy manipulation; an Inco ngruity effect was not obtained for behaviors performed in the unspeci fied situation. These data suggest that situation-specific expectancie s should be addressed in future person memory models.