查看文章

Comparisons are often characterized by a directional feature-matching process in which individuals examine the extent to which the features of one alternative—the “subject”—are present or absent in a second alternative—the “referent.” Previous research cf. (Tversky, 1977; Houston, Sherman, & Baker, 1989) has found that individuals exhibit a pervasive tendency to focus upon the unique features of the subject and to neglect the unique features of the referent during the comparison process (the direction-of-comparison effect). Experiment 1 examined how the availability of overall evaluations in memory influences the direction-of-comparison effect and comparison strategy selection. When overall evaluations toward the choice alternatives were available, respondents were less likely to show a directional bias and neglect the unique features of the referent in making a preference judgment. The findings suggest that …