Five information processing models that relate memory for evidence to judgments based on the evidence are identified in the current social cognition literature: independent processing, availability, biased retrieval, biased encoding, and incongruity-biased encoding. A distinction between two types of judgment tasks is introduced and is related to…

Judging plausibility is argued to be a more efficient strategy than direct retrieval (finding a propositional match) to judge a statement's truth. A proposed model contrasts the strategies in terms of verbatim memory and duration. Direct retrieval is faster when verbatim traces are strong, but plausibility judgment is more efficient over time.…

A theoretical model of person memory and judgment--the processes underlying the formation of person impressions--is presented. It incorporates both specific behaviors and abstract personality dispositions or behavioral tendencies. The model accounts for factors affecting recall of social information and interpersonal judgments and is applicable to…

A model of how the human cognitive system operates in its natural social context is presented. The model focuses on both input and output variables that have been ignored in the development of most other cognitive theories. Unique predictions of the model and empirical evidence bearing on them are discussed. (Author/LMO)

A descriptive model of how people make judgments under ambiguity is proposed. Two factors are reflected in the model: (1) the amount of ambiguity, which affects the size of the simulation, and (2) one's attitudes toward ambiguity. The model is tested in four experiments using individual and group analyses. (Author/LMO)