Cognitive Processes Underlying Context Effects in Attitude Measurement

TL;DR: In this article, the authors argue that an answer to an attitude question is the product of a four-stage process: first, respondents interpret the attitude question, determine what attitude the question is about, then they apply these beliefs and feelings in rendering the appropriate judgment, and finally they use this judgment to select a response.

Abstract: We begin this article with the assumption that attitudes are best understood as structures in longterm memory, and we look at the implications of this view for the response process in attitude surveys. More specifically, we assert that an answer to an attitude question is the product of a fourstage process. Respondents first interpret the attitude question, determining what attitude the question is about. They then retrieve relevant beliefs and feelings. Next, they apply these beliefs and feelings in rendering the appropriate judgment. Finally, they use this judgment to select a response. All four of the component processes can be affected by prior items. The prior items can provide a framework for interpreting later questions and can also make some responses appear to be redundant with earlier answers. The prior items can prime some beliefs, making them more accessible to the retrieval process. The prior items can suggest a norm or standard of comparison for making the judgment. Finally, the prior items can create consistency pressures or pressures to appear moderate. Because of the multiple processes involved, context effects are difficult to predict and sometimes difficult to replicate. We attempt to sort out when context is likely to affect later responses and include a list of the variables that affect the size and direction of the effects of context.