Construal level theory clt is a theory in social psychology that describes the relation between psychological distance and the extent to which peoples thinking e. Construal level theory is a theory that perceives that the further the psychological distance between a person and an object or event, the higher the level of abstraction will be. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Thus, although we cannot experience what is not present, we can make predictions about the future, remember the past, imagine other peoples reactions, and speculate about what might have been. Psychological distance is a subjective experience that something is theory is a functional approach to construal levels. Construal level theory and consumer behavior request pdf. Jan 22, 2008 the three commentaries on our paper construal levels and psychological distance. Construal level theory is a theory in social psychology that describes the relation between psychological distance and the extent to which peoples thinking is abstract or concrete. The association between psychological distance and construal. The influence of psychological distance on ambiguity decision. The effect of psychological distance on perceptual level of.
Construal level theory proposes that temporal distance changes peoples responses to future events by changing the way people mentally represent those events. Construal level theory of psychological distance clt is a social psychological theory that explores the mechanisms that people use to experience and express reactions to distal events, i. Without denying the uniqueness of each process, it is proposed that they. Using construal level theory to motivate accounting research. When you look at an object in the distance and look at the same object nearby, you focus on different features. Construallevel theory of psychological distance eric. Construallevel theory of psychological distance yaacov trope new york university nira liberman tel aviv university people are capable of thinking about the future, the past, remote locations, another person s perspective, and counterfactual alternatives.
Pdf download for effects of psychological distance perception and. Construallevel theory of psychological distance department of. It refers to the process of people perceiving, comprehending and interpreting the environment around them. Soderberg ck, callahan sp, kochersberger a, amit e, ledgerwood a. In clt, psychological distance is defined on several dimensionstemporal, spatial, social and hypothetical distance. Construal level theory and fear of crime ioanna gouseti1. Although construal level theory clt points to similarities across the dimensions of psychological distance, there are also important differences among the dimensions, as noted by lynch and zauberman as well as by fiedler. Construal level theory clt construal level theory clt is a concept that originated in social psychology that posits the more distance that exists between an object and an individual influences whether a persons thoughts regarding that object are abstract or concrete. A construal level theory perspective tal eyal ben gurion university nira liberman tel aviv university people often think in terms of moral principles, values, and ideologies. The association between psychological distance and construal level. Construal level theory clt attempts to explain how people accomplish this remarkable feat. According to clt, the concept of psychological distance constitutes a common meaning shared by four interrelated dimensions. Construal level theory, formulated by nira liberman and yaacov trope, explains that levels of construal vary with psychological distance, with greater distance leading to higherlevels of construal. Clt assumes that people mentally construe objects that are psychologically near in terms of lowlevel, detailed, and contextualized features, whereas at a distance they construe the same objects or events in terms of high.
We incessantly travel from the past to the future and have no control over time. Psychological distance makes the heart grow fonder. Construal level theory of psychological distance yaacov trope new york university nira liberman tel aviv university people are capable of thinking about the future, the past, remote locations, another person s perspective, and counterfactual alternatives. Going beyond this earlier theory, we now treat temporal construal theory as a special case of a general theory of psychological distance. They serve to transcend the theory of psychological distance. Effects on representation, prediction, evaluation, and behavior offer insightful theoretical extensions and practical applications of construal level theory clt. Construal level theory clt, a recent framework linking distance and abstraction, suggests that psychological distance is one important determinant of whether primary, essential characteristics or secondary, peripheral characteristics are used as the basis of evaluation. Building upon construal level theory, the present study will extend existing literature on the relationship between psychological distance and public acceptance of shale gas development, by examining the dimensions of psychological distance that receive less attention e. Construal level theory clt proposes that we do so by forming abstract mental construals of distal objects. Clt assumes that people mentally construe objects that are psychologically near in terms of lowlevel, detailed, and contextualized features, whereas at a distance they construe the same objects or events in terms of highlevel, abstract, and stable characteristics. Several authors have shown how communication using digital devices influences the experience of psychological distance.
The general idea is that the more distant an object is from the individual, the more abstract it will be thought of, while. Construallevel theory of psychological distance by n. Construal level theory clt is a theory in social psychology that describes the relation between psychological distance and the extent to which peoples. Past research on construal level theory clt identifies four dimensions of psychological distance that influence consumers construal of information and their subsequent decisions. At the core of the proposed theory is a functional approach to construal levels, according to which mental construal processes serve to traverse psychological distances and switch between proximal and distal. Psychological distance and abstract thought are cognitively linked together and make up far. Psychological distance is defined within the construal level theory clt, which was developed by trope and liberman. Psychological distance can reduce the subjective experience of difficulty caused by task complexity and task anxiety.
The general idea is that the more distant an object is from the individual, the more abstract it will be thought of, while the closer the object is, the more concretely it will be thought of. Citeseerx construallevel theory of psychological distance. Choices that are more distant psychologically are mentally construed in a different fashion than choices that are psychologically closer. This relationship has been shown to be bidirectional, meaning that level of construal affects perceptions of psychological distance in the same. Pdf spontaneous trait inference and construal level. Construal level theory clt an important theory in intertemporal choice is that of construal level.
Hjcp construal level theory as an integrative framework for. From the perspective of construal level theory, this finding suggests that task difficulty. For example, a woman might characterize herself as someone who values loyalty, social power, or environmental issues. At the core of the proposed immediate situation and represent psychologically distant objects. Psychological distance increases nonconscious trait thinking. Pdf construallevel theory of psychological distance.
Its reference point is the self in the here and now, and the different ways in which an object might be removed from that pointin time, in space, in social distance, and in hypotheticalityconstitute different distance dimensions. Recent research has already confirmed, and future research will further confirm, the authors hope that approaching various dimensions under the umbrella of psychological distance will create a unifying theoretical framework that will stimulate exploration and allow us to parsimoniously understand a. Clt describes the relationship between psychological distance and the peoples thought in abstract or in clear terms. Troups construallevel theory of psychological distance is widely known in the english sources of social psychology.
Pdf construallevel theory of psychological distance nira. Construal level theory posits that thinking about psychologically distant objects influences the extent to which we view possibly unrelated objects abstractly or concretely. Construal level theory clt finds that choices are influenced by psychological distance. Norman e, tjomsland he and huegel d 2016 the distance between us. Spontaneous trait inference and construal level theory. Trope and liberman 2010 posits that psychological distance from the target is a cen tral determinant of the level at which people. The term construal is derived from social psychology.
Journal of experimental social psychology, 45, 10881097. Central to understanding clt is the idea of psychological distance. Construal level theory and consumer behavior liberman. The effect of psychological distance on abstraction. Research on this topic has been guided by the construal level theory of psychological distance clt. Using construal level theory to understand interpersonal distance in a digital age. Without denying the uniqueness of each process, it is proposed that they constitute different forms of traversing psychological distance. Evidence from an implicit association test yoav baranan and nira liberman tel aviv university yaacov trope new york university according to construal level theory n.
The current paper describes this framework in more detail, explaining. Psychological distance refers to the removal of an object or event from direct experience what is happening to me in the immediate hereandnow. What is level of construal, and why is it related to psychological distance. The greater the temporal distance, the more likely are events to be represented in terms of a few abstract features that convey the perceived essence of the events high level construals rather than in terms of more concrete and. Construal level theory clt is an account of how psychological distance influences individuals thoughts and behavior. Its reference point is the self in the here and now, and the different ways in. Effects of psychological distance perception and psychological. Construal level theory clt definition psychology glossary. Why does psychological distance influence construal level.
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