Context effect

"THE CAT" is a classic example of context effect. We have little trouble reading "H" and "A" in their appropriate contexts, even though they take on the same form in each word.

A context effect is an aspect of cognitive psychology that describes the influence of environmental factors on one's perception of a stimulus.[1] The impact of context effects is considered to be part of top-down design. The concept is supported by the theoretical approach to perception known as constructive perception. Context effects can impact our daily lives in many ways such as word recognition, learning abilities, memory, and object recognition. It can have an extensive effect on marketing and consumer decisions. For example, research has shown that the comfort level of the floor that shoppers are standing on while reviewing products can affect their assessments of product's quality, leading to higher assessments if the floor is comfortable and lower ratings if it is uncomfortable. Because of effects such as this, context effects are currently studied predominantly in marketing.[2]

  1. ^ Nikolić, D. (2010). The brain is a context machine. Review of psychology, 17(1), 33-38.
  2. ^ Meyers-Levy, Joan; Zhu, Rui (Juliet); Jiang, Lan (1 June 2010). "Context Effects from Bodily Sensations: Examining Bodily Sensations Induced by Flooring and the Moderating Role of Product Viewing Distance". Journal of Consumer Research. 37 (1): 1–14. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.173.940. doi:10.1086/649028.