Jack McKillip

Visual Memory for Place on the Page

Sixty-four Ss were asked to read a lengthy prose passage and were subsequently tested for (a) information recall, (b) memory for location of information answers; and (c) discrimination of information answers in a multiple-choice (MC) task. In aggrement with previous studies, spatial memory was highly reliable and significantly greater for correct than incorrect information answers. However, the present experiments showed that cueing Ss to a spatial test did not raise the level of spatial recall over that for a noncued group. Further, proportion of both item and spatial recall was found to increase directly with degree of visual memory for location as indexed by a five-point subjective knowledge scale. There was also a general trend for multiple-choice performance ot improve as degree of visual knowledge for an answers true location increased. It is apparent that visually mediated spatial memory is a fundamental attribute when text material is encoded, and may be of mnemonic worth when retention of information is required.

Source Characteristics and Attitude Change

to have scale value (s) determined by the content of the message, and weight or importance (w) determined, in part, by the credibility of the source. These parameters are hypothesized to multiply to determine communication effectiveness. For the case in which only a single communication is used, the information integration model is: Rij = woso + wits 3’ The crucial assumption of this model is that the s and w parameters are determined independently, i.e., source credibility will remain constant when paired with messages of different content, and message position will be perceived to be the same, regardless of the source. However, a number of studies of the source credibility effect do not fit well with this independence assumption. Koeske and Crano (1968) found that statements which were nonconsonant with the presumed position of the source were more believable than statements consonant with that position. Tannenbaum (1966) and Johnson and Watkins (1971) both found that when a high credible source argued the same side on an issue as a low credible source,

The set size effect and confidence in reports of behavioral intentions

The generality of the principles of impression formation was explored using marital and employment behavioral intentions in a design controlling four levels of description polarity and three levels of set size. In addition, several hypotheses were tested relating confidence in the behavioral intention rating to polarity and amount of information presented. In general, the findings paralleled those obtained when standard evaluative judgments are requested. The reports of confidence increased as polarity and amount of information increased. Some differences in marital and employment behavioral intentions were noted.

Credibility and Impression Formation

Fifty-one participants indicated attraction toward individuals described positively, neutrally, or negatively by one of three types of sources, friend, acquaintance, or compet itor. Deviations in rated liking from Andersons (1971) multi plying model for communication effectiveness were in line with credibility ratings and predictions from attribution theory. A two-stage information integration model is proposed.