The Feeling of Familiarity as a Regulator of Persuasive Processing

Abstract

Two experiments demonstrated that a subjective feeling of familiarity determined whether participants processed persuasive information analytically (systematically) or non-analytically (heuristically). In the first experiment, individuals unfamiliar with message content showed differential attitude change when strong versus weak arguments were presented, whereas individuals made familiar with the message through unrelated repetition failed to do so. These results were confirmed in a second study that manipulated familiarity through subtle repetition and eliminated procedural priming explanations of the effect. Implications of these findings for familiarity as a regulator of persuasive processing are discussed.The recent proliferation of dual-process models in cognitive and social psychology reflects a considerable consensus that human information processing involves two distinct modes of computation (for reviews see Abelson, 1994;Sloman, 1996;Smith, 1994;Smith & DeCoster, 1999). Although different in some significant ways, these models converge on the idea that individuals can make decisions or judgments about identical information on the basis of two distinct modes of processing.One mode, which we term non-analytic processing, is characterized by access to previously stored knowledge. It operates outside of con-

The Effects of Personal Relevance and Repetition on Persuasive Processing

“…Under conditions of low personal relevance, both experiments found that a familiar message was processed nonanalytically, replicating the results obtained by Garcia-Marques and Mackie (2001). However, under conditions of high personal relevance, repetition had a different effect on processing.…”

“…In contrast to these findings, Garcia-Marques and Mackie (2001) demonstrated that repeated persuasive messages are processed less analytically than those that are not. In the first of two experiments, participants were presented with a message that opposed the implementation of governmentally enforced controls on American industry to minimize the effects of acid rain on the Northeastern states.…”

“…If familiarity triggers nonanalytic processing, as suggested by Garcia-Marques and Mackie (2001), mismatch theory (Johnston & Hawley, 1994) and supporting research in cognitive psychology (e.g., Reder & Ritter, 1992), then its ultimate impact on persuasive processing may well be influenced by relevance. Chaiken (1987;Chaiken, Liberman, & Eagly, 1989) has argued that "systematic" (analytic) and less effortful processing can co-occur, leading to additive and interactive effects on attitudes.…”

“…Thus, repetition has been shown to both increase (Cacioppo & Petty, 1989) and decrease (Garcia-Marques & Mackie, 2001) analytic processing. Detailed examination of these two sets of research reveals a number of methodological differences that could potentially account for the conflicting results.…”

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Past research has suggested that familiarity with a message, brought about by repetition, can increase (Cacioppo & Petty, 1989) or decrease (Garcia-Marques & Mackie, 2001) analytic (systematic) processing of that message. Two experiments attempted to resolve these contradictory findings by examining how personal relevance may moderate the impact of familiarity on processing.

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