The Role of Expectancy and Relevancy in Memory for Verbal and Visual Information: What is Incongruency?

Three experiments are presented that investigate the effect of using incongruent information to improve the memorability of complex marketing communications. The basic premise of the research is that incongruency is a multidimensional concept, the components of which may produce countervailing effects on memory. Drawing on research in social cognition and information processing, a theoretical framework is developed that posits two dimensions of incongruency: relevancy and expectancy. Results of the research provide empirical support for the framework and suggest implications for consumer research and the development of ads. Copyright 1992 by the University of Chicago.