Source and concept evaluation as determinants of inferred assertions

Abstract

Within the context of congruity theory, the following hypotheses were tested: (l)When both source and concept (where concept is another person) are evaluated with a similar sign, a positive assertion will be assumed; otherwise, a negative assertion will be assumed. (2) What source is assumed to assert about concept should not differ from what concept is assumed to assert about source. Sixty-four Ss were given a list of historical figures and asked to choose what they thought each would say about some of the others from a list of assertions that ranged from definitely positive to definitely negative. The results supported Hypothesis 1. While Hypothesis 2 was not supported, there was a systematic effect, whereby the less positively evaluated figure in each pair was inferred to be more charitable in his assertions than vice versa.