Effect of context on ratings of personality traits

Ss rated 1 personality trait in the context of 2 other traits. With ordinary judgment instructions, no context effect was found. But if the set of traits was said to describe a person, the rating of the test trait was displaced toward the value of the context. This positive context effect cannot be explained in perceptual assimilation-contrast terms because of the lack of effect with ordinary judgment instructions. Other interpretations are discussed.