Abstract

The author (Cho, 1979) found that the favorableness(good-bad) impressions were evaluated extremely as the set-size of the stimulus person increased, but the likableness (like-dislike) impressions were not evaluated extremely as the set-size increased. These results indicate that, in case of the favorableness impression, traits of the stimulus person are integrated according to the adding model. On the other hand, those in the likableness impression are integrated according to the averaging model. In his later experiment (Cho, 1982a), intellectual traits were more salient for judgments of favorableness, and affective traits were more salient for judgments of likableness. This study was designed to test the set-size effect and information salience effect, discovered in the previous studies, combining in one experimental setting. 2 (favorableness vs. likableness judgements)×2(positive vs. negative words)×2(intellectual vs. affective traits)×2(set-size 3vs. 5) factorial design was used in this experiment. The subjects of this study were 50 college students. They were divided into two groups; One was favorableness judgement group, and the other was likableness judgement group. Thus, the later 3 variables stated above were repeated for each of the subjects. The main results from this study could be summarized as follows: First, intellectual traits had more information salience for the judgements of faborableness, and affective traits were more salient for the judgements of likableness. This is a consistent result with the author's previous finding (Cho, 1982a). Second, the set-size effects in the faborableness judgement were different from those in the likableness judgements. That is, in judging the faborableness impression, set-size effects were found regardless of the evaluative dimension of the stimulus traits. On the other hand, in judging the likableness impression, set-size effects were found in affective traits word-set, but set-size did not take any effect in intellectual traits word-set. This result can be interpreted that two types of the trsits of the stimulus person give different effect and information is intergrated differently in forming impressions of favorableness and in those of likableness.