Fluent processing amplifies affective judgments: Evidence from a visual search task of cats and spiders.
Citation
Zhou, Y., & Kawabata, H. (2023). Fluent processing amplifies affective judgments: Evidence from a visual search task of cats and spiders. Experimental Psychology, 70(5), 285–293. https://doi.org/10.1027/1618-3169/a000601
Abstract
The importance of processing fluency in evaluative judgments has been repeatedly demonstrated across many domains such as liking, beauty, and truth. However, a clear picture of the nature of processing fluency has yet to emerge. Fluent processing has been suggested to form evaluative judgments in a hedonic nature, in which existing judgmental tendencies always shift in a positive direction. Alternatively, fluency has been proposed to amplify evaluative judgments bidirectionally. However, uncertainty remains regarding the influence of processing fluency on pre-existing judgmental tendencies. Specifically, the extent to which the effect of stimuli belonging to specific categories varies within an individual remains unclear. This study assessed the influence of fluent processing on two specific categories (cats/spiders) using a visual search task. Fluency was manipulated by the set size of the stimuli and presentation duration. Fluency intensified pre-existing judgmental tendencies in two divergent directions: The initially favored stimuli were liked more, while the initially unfavored ones were liked less when the processing of stimuli was fluent. There was a significant correlation between favored and unfavored stimuli in terms of the magnitude of the effect, and such effect was influenced by visual attention, suggesting that processing fluency goes beyond a hedonic and unidimensional nature. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
AI Insights & Summaries
This study assessed the influence of fluent processing on cats and spiders using a visual search task. Fluency was manipulated by the set size of the stimuli and presentation duration. Fluency intensified pre-existing judgmental tendencies in two divergent directions: The initially favored stimuli were liked more, while the initially unfavored ones were liked less when the processing of stimuli was fluent.[1] There was a significant correlation between favored and unfavored stimuli in terms of the magnitude of the effect, and such effect was influenced by visual attention, suggesting that processing fluency goes beyond a hedonic and unidimensional nature.[2]
Full Summary
The study "Fluent processing amplifies affective judgments" found that when stimuli are processed more fluently, judgments about them are intensified in line with pre-existing feelings. For example, in a visual search task using cats (initially favored) and spiders (initially unfavored), participants liked cats even more and spiders even less when the processing was easy (fluent).[3] This amplification effect suggests fluency not only makes things feel better but also reinforces initial preferences in both positive and negative directions.[4]
Key Findings:
- Amplification of affective judgments: Fluency amplified existing feelings. Participants liked cats more and spiders less when processing was fluent compared to when it was difficult.[5]
- Liking ratings: The study confirmed that cats were generally favored and spiders unfavored based on initial ratings. The fluency manipulation then intensified these differences.[6]
- Bidirectional amplification: The effect was bidirectional, meaning fluency increased liking for favored stimuli and decreased liking for unfavored ones.[7]
- Role of attention: The effect was influenced by visual attention, indicating that processing fluency's impact is complex and goes beyond a simple, one-dimensional feeling of goodness.[8]
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