Considering the Best Choice: Effects of the Salience and Accessibility of Alternatives on Attitude-Decision Consistency

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol. 72, No. 2, pp. 253-261, 1997

Posted: 17 Aug 2011

See all articles by Steven S. Posavac

Steven S. Posavac

Vanderbilt University - Marketing

David M. Sanbonmatsu

University of Utah - Department of Psychology

Russell H. Fazio

Ohio State University (OSU)

Date Written: 1997

Abstract

The authors examined how the presence or absence of specified alternatives influences which alternatives are considered and what choice is made. The accessibility of alternatives as a moderator of the correspondence between attitudes and decisions also was investigated. In Study 1, the accessibility of alternatives was an important determinant of choice when decision options were unspecified. The results of Studies 2 and 3 suggest that the potential for attitude-decision correspondence is high when (a) the decision context makes the alternatives salient or (b) alternatives are easily accessed from memory.

Suggested Citation

Posavac, Steven S. and Sanbonmatsu, David M. and Fazio, Russell H., Considering the Best Choice: Effects of the Salience and Accessibility of Alternatives on Attitude-Decision Consistency (1997). Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol. 72, No. 2, pp. 253-261, 1997, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1910697

Steven S. Posavac (Contact Author)

Vanderbilt University - Marketing ( email )

Nashville, TN 37203
United States
615-322-0456 (Phone)

David M. Sanbonmatsu

University of Utah - Department of Psychology ( email )

702 Social And Behavioral Science Building
380 South 1530 East, Room 502
Salt Lake City, UT 84112 -025
United States
(801) 581-8505 (Phone)
(801) 581-8505 (Fax)

Russell H. Fazio

Ohio State University (OSU) ( email )

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