Complementary Contrast and Assimilation: Interpersonal Theory and the Social Functions of Contrast and Assimilation Effects: Larissa Z. Tiedens, Rosalind M. Chow, and Miguel M. Unzueta

T he notion that judgments are frequently relative is central to the researchand theory on contrast and assimilation effects. Objects and people canrarely be evaluated in a vacuum and are instead compared and related to other aspects of the environment. In the case of judgments about people, contrast and assimilation effects demonstrate that people are assessed by the degree to which they are similar and different from salient others. We often evaluate ourselves by comparing ourselves with others (Festinger, 1954), and we evaluate others by comparing them to ourselves (Dunning & Hayes, 1996) or to a third party (Herr, 1986; Ostrom & Upshaw, 1968). In this sense, contrast and assimilation effects underscore the social nature of person perception. Specifically, people are evaluated vis-à-vis other people.