This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Tormala, Z. L. Articles by Briñol, P. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Tormala, Z. L. Articles by Briñol, P. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Ease of Retrieval Effects in Persuasion: A Self-Validation Analysis

The Ohio State University, tormala.3{at}osu.edu

Richard E. Petty

The Ohio State University, petty.1{at}osu.edu

Pablo Briñol

Universidad Autónoma de Madrid

Three studies are reported examining a new explanation for ease of retrieval effects in persuasion. In each study, participants read a persuasive communication and were induced to generate either a low or high number of favorable or unfavorable thoughts in response. In conflict with the assumptions of most previous studies, the authors predicted and found that ease of retrieval effects occur primarily under high rather than low-elaboration conditions. Under high-elaboration conditions, people were more influenced by their thoughts when few rather than many were retrieved (ease of retrieval effect), and this was mediated by the confidence participants had in those thoughts. These findings are consistent with the self-validation hypothesis. Under low-elaboration conditions, participants based judgments more on the actual number of thoughts generated, reflecting a numerosity heuristic.

Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Vol. 28, No. 12, 1700-1712 (2002)
DOI: 10.1177/014616702237651


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. V. Petrocelli and K. Dowd Ease of Counterfactual Thought Generation Moderates the Relationship Between Need for Cognition and Punitive Responses to Crime Pers Soc Psychol Bull, September 1, 2009; 35(9): 1179 - 1192. [Abstract] [PDF]

				R. E. Petty and P. Brinol Psychological Processes Underlying Persuasion: A Social Psychological Approach Diogenes, February 1, 2008; 55(1): 52 - 67. [Abstract] [PDF]

				Z. L. Tormala and V. L. DeSensi The Perceived Informational Basis of Attitudes: Implications for Subjective Ambivalence Pers Soc Psychol Bull, February 1, 2008; 34(2): 275 - 287. [Abstract] [PDF]

				P. Brinol, R. E. Petty, I. Gallardo, and K. G. DeMarree The Effect of Self-Affirmation in Nonthreatening Persuasion Domains: Timing Affects the Process Pers Soc Psychol Bull, November 1, 2007; 33(11): 1533 - 1546. [Abstract] [PDF]

				S. C. Wheeler, K. G. DeMarree, and R. E. Petty Understanding the Role of the Self in Prime-to-Behavior Effects: The Active-Self Account Personality and Social Psychology Review, August 1, 2007; 11(3): 234 - 261. [Abstract] [PDF]

				F. Van Overwalle and F. Siebler A Connectionist Model of Attitude Formation and Change Personality and Social Psychology Review, August 1, 2005; 9(3): 231 - 274. [Abstract] [PDF]

				Z. L. Tormala and R. E. Petty Resistance to Persuasion and Attitude Certainty: The Moderating Role of Elaboration Pers Soc Psychol Bull, November 1, 2004; 30(11): 1446 - 1457. [Abstract] [PDF]