The impact of interpretation versus comparison mindsets on knowledge accessibility effects

Many models of social judgment assert that both the interpretation of a per ceived target stimulus and the comparison of this stimulus to a relevant st andard are important components of the impression formation process. The pr esent research examines the consequences of the activation of mindsets corr esponding to these components for the use and impact of accessible knowledg e on subsequent judgments. The findings of three studies support the hypoth esis that accessible knowledge is more likely to produce assimilative inter pretation effects when an interpretation goal is activated, whereas contras tive comparison effects occur when a comparison goal is activated. These go al X knowledge priming effects occurred without perceivers being aware of h aving or working toward these mindsets during the target task. Implications for models of knowledge accessibility effects and other social phenomena a re discussed. (C) 2001 Academic Press.