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Accuracy in Detecting Potential Underage Drinkers: The Role of Contextual Effects in Proofing 1
Author(s) -
Mccall Michael
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
journal of applied social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.822
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1559-1816
pISSN - 0021-9029
DOI - 10.1111/j.1559-1816.1993.tb01011.x
Subject(s) - psychology , perception , priming (agriculture) , social psychology , affect (linguistics) , cognition , contrast (vision) , salient , developmental psychology , communication , botany , germination , neuroscience , artificial intelligence , computer science , biology
Three studies investigated the prevalence and influence of contextual effects in social judgments of age as they concern the purchase of alcohol. In Experiment 1, prior to rating a target individual, college students rated a series of photographs of persons considerably older or younger than the legal drinking age. Contrary to previous research on contrast effects, a cognitive assimilation effect was obtained for perceptions of age. Subjects rated a target person older when the prior stimuli were older, and younger when exposed to youthful stimuli. In Experiment 2, subjects again were exposed to older or younger stimuli or control stimuli (pictures of a university campus) and asked to rate a target individual. In an attempt to make salient the relevant perceptual category, subjects were asked specifically to make age ratings of the priming stimuli. Results again indicated an assimilation effect for age and the decision to proof. Attraction and liking data tended to demonstrate a contrast effect. Experiment 3 replicated the assimilation effects found in Experiments 1 and 2 using actual store clerks. These data are considered in light of the social factors that affect judgments in policies that seek to restrict access to alcohol among minors.