The effects of verbal and visual interference on impressions: An associated-systems approach

Abstract

This study investigated associated-systems theory's prediction that interference with the visual or verbal mental systems should alter person impressions by removing or reducing the impact of the information represented within those systems, while accentuating the influence of other information. In Experiment 1, interference with the verbal system decreased the influence of verbal information on trait judgments and increased the influence of visual information on attractiveness and liking judgments. In Experiment 2, visual interference decreased the impact of visual information on attractiveness judgments and, at least for attractive targets, increased the impact of verbal information on trait and liking judgments. These results support the premise that impressions consist of representations allied with separate processing systems and that those impressions can be affected by other activities involving those systems.