Psychological distance promotes transcending of local maxima

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Alexander Yudkin
Keyword(s):  
Exploratory Behavior ◽  
Social Distance ◽  
Local Maximum ◽  
Psychological Distance ◽  
Construal Level Theory ◽  
Global Maximum ◽  
Local Maxima ◽  
Direct Association ◽  
Decision Structure

Agents must sometimes decide whether to exploit a known resource or search for potentially more profitable options. Here, we investigate the role of psychological distancing in promoting exploratory behavior. We argue that exploration dilemmas pit the value of a reward (“desirability”) against the difficulty or uncertainty of obtaining it (“feasibility”). Based on construal level theory, which suggests that psychological distance increases the importance of rewards’ desirability (versus feasibility), we expect that psychological distance will increase exploration. Two pretests and three experiments support this prediction. Pretests A and B confirm that exploration dilemmas conform to the feasibility/desirability decision structure. In Experiment 1, participants who were prompted to consider an exploration game from a physically distanced perspective were more likely to leave a local maximum in search of a global maximum. Experiments 2 and 3 show that social distance has similar results. Experiment 4 finds evidence of a direct association between construal mindset and exploration. Overall, this research highlights how psychological distancing strategies can promote exploration.

Psychological Distance Promotes Exploration in Search of a Global Maximum

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Yudkin
Keyword(s):  
Exploratory Behavior ◽  
Social Distance ◽  
Local Maximum ◽  
Psychological Distance ◽  
Construal Level Theory ◽  
Global Maximum ◽  
Construal Level ◽  
Direct Association ◽  
Decision Structure

Agents must sometimes decide whether to exploit a known resource or search for potentially more profitable options. Here, we investigate the role of psychological distancing in promoting exploratory behavior. We argue that exploration dilemmas pit the value of a reward (“desirability”) against the difficulty or uncertainty of obtaining it (“feasibility”). Based on construal level theory, which suggests that psychological distance increases the importance of rewards’ desirability (versus feasibility), we expect that psychological distance will increase exploration. Two pretests and three experiments support this prediction. Pretests A and B confirm that exploration dilemmas conform to the feasibility/desirability decision structure. In Experiment 1, participants who were prompted to consider an exploration game from a physically distanced perspective were more likely to leave a local maximum in search of a global maximum. Experiments 2 and 3 show that social distance has similar results. Experiment 4 finds evidence of a direct association between construal mindset and exploration. Overall, this research highlights how psychological distancing strategies can promote exploration.

Psychological Distance Promotes Exploration in Search of a Global Maximum

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (6) ◽  
pp. 893-906 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel A. Yudkin ◽  
Rotem Pick ◽  
Elina Yewon Hur ◽  
Nira Liberman ◽  
Yaacov Trope
Keyword(s):  
Exploratory Behavior ◽  
Social Distance ◽  
Local Maximum ◽  
Psychological Distance ◽  
Construal Level Theory ◽  
Global Maximum ◽  
Construal Level ◽  
Direct Association ◽  
Mind Set

Agents must sometimes decide whether to exploit a known resource or search for potentially more profitable options. Here, we investigate the role of psychological distancing in promoting exploratory behavior. We argue that exploration dilemmas pit the value of a reward (“desirability”) against the difficulty or uncertainty of obtaining it (“feasibility”). Based on construal level theory, which suggests that psychological distance increases the importance of rewards’ desirability (vs. feasibility), we expect that psychological distance will increase exploration. Four experiments support this prediction. In Experiment 1, participants who were prompted to consider an exploration game from a physically distanced perspective were more likely to leave a local maximum in search of a global maximum. Experiments 2 and 3 show that social distance has similar results. Experiment 4 finds evidence of a direct association between construal mind-set and exploration. Overall, this research highlights how psychological distancing strategies can promote exploration.

Hypotheticality and Level of Construal

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guy Grinfeld ◽  
Cheryl Jan Wakslak ◽  
Yaacov Trope ◽  
Nira Liberman
Keyword(s):  
Social Distance ◽  
Text Analysis ◽  
Mental Representations ◽  
Psychological Distance ◽  
Construal Level Theory ◽  
Construal Level ◽  
Time Space ◽  
Detailed Text

Construal level theory suggests that less likely, more distant counterfactual events and actions will be represented more abstractly. However, the effect of hypotheticality on level of construal has been studied less than the effect of other dimensions of psychological distance (time, space, social distance) and recently did not replicate in two experiments (Calderon et al. 2020). Two sets of pre-registered studies attempted to close this empirical gap. In the first set, participants described more and less likely events in their life. Participants rated the mental representations of the less likely, more distant counterfactual events as being less clear and detailed. Text analysis revealed also that the descriptions of those events were less concrete. In the second set of studies, participants completed the Behavioral Identification Form, in which they chose between abstract and concrete descriptions of actions. Participants preferred to describe actions that were only a hypothetical possibility by their abstract means and actions that were actually performed by their concrete means, whether hypotheticality was manipulated within- or between-participants. We discuss potential difficulties of manipulating hypotheticality and suggest how to overcome them. We address, more generally, the nature of hypotheticality and how it is both similar to and different from other psychological distances.

The Role of Ego Depletion in Goal Pursuit: A Construal-level Perspective

2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (7) ◽  
pp. 1143-1156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Wenjing Lyu ◽  
Changqing Lai ◽  
Jin Liu
Keyword(s):  
Control Theory ◽  
Social Distance ◽  
Goal Pursuit ◽  
Ego Depletion ◽  
Construal Level Theory ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Construal Level ◽  
Subject Design ◽  
Preference Experiment

We conducted 2 experiments to explore whether or not ego depletion from exerting prior self-control lowers an individual's construal level and thus, in turn, affects the individual's goal preference. Experiment 1 (N = 132) involved a 2 (ego depletion: present vs. absent) × 2 (priming-focus feature: temporality vs. probability) between-subject design. The results showed that people whose ego was depleted from exerting prior self-control would be more motivated to pursue a temporally proximal uncertain goal than were those whose ego was not depleted. In Experiment 2 (N = 138) we used a 2 (ego depletion: present vs. absent) × 2 (social distance of the goal being pursued: for self vs. for others) between-subject design to test the generalizability of the finding in Experiment 1. The results showed that people whose ego was depleted would be motivated to pursue a goal that was certain with a lower end value, especially when setting a goal for others. Our finding that ego depletion lowered individuals' construal level and, thus, made them focus more on subordinate features of a goal supports both self-control theory and construal-level theory.

Effects of psychological distance on assessment of severity of water pollution

2014 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Zhang ◽  
Gui-Bing He ◽  
Yue Zhu ◽  
Long Cheng
Keyword(s):  
Water Pollution ◽  
Significant Influence ◽  
Social Distance ◽  
Psychological Distance ◽  
Temporal Distance ◽  
Severity Assessment ◽  
Main Effect ◽  
Probability Distance ◽  
Degree Of Severity

We conducted 2 studies to investigate the role of psychological distance in the assessment of degree of severity of water pollution. In Study 1, 132 participants evaluated the severity of water pollution with 3 dimensions of psychological distance, that is, temporal, social, and probability, each comprising 3 levels. Results showed that temporal distance did not have a significant influence on the assessment of the severity of water pollution, whereas probability and social distance did. In Study 2, 146 participants evaluated the severity of water pollution in three 2 × 2 designs and one 2 × 2 × 2 design. Results demonstrated that, when the 3 psychological distances coexisted, the main effect of probability distance on severity assessment was significant, but neither temporal nor social distance had a significant effect.

scholarly journals The relationship between self-control and altruism in the light of discounting literature

2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 433-439 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerzy Osiński ◽  
Adam Karbowski ◽  
Jan Rusek
Keyword(s):  
Delay Discounting ◽  
Psychological Distance ◽  
Construal Level Theory ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Common Mechanism ◽  
Extended Self ◽  
Behavioural Patterns ◽  
Time Periods ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract On the basis of literature on delay discounting, potential mechanisms of relations between self-control and altruism are considered. The discussed possibilities are: cause-and-effect relationship (self-control enabling sacrificing immediate benefits caused by selfish behaviour in favor of future benefits associated with altruism, e.g. reciprocation), common mechanism (ability to learn behavioural patterns covering longer time periods), role of intelligence as a factor related both to self-control and altruism, and role of psychological distance (the idea of extended self and construal level theory). Relations between described perspectives are pointed out, and directions for further research are suggested.

Commentaries and Rejoinder on

2014 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 327-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Han Gong ◽  
Douglas L. Medin ◽  
Tal Eyal ◽  
Nira Liberman ◽  
Yaacov Trope ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Moral Judgment ◽  
Psychological Distance ◽  
Temporal Distance ◽  
Moral Cognition ◽  
Cultural Systems ◽  
Moral Condemnation ◽  
Construal Levels

In the hope to resolve the two sets of opposing results concerning the effects of psychological distance and construal levels on moral judgment, Žeželj and Jokić (2014) conducted a series of four direct replications, which yielded divergent patterns of results. In our commentary, we first revisit the consistent findings that lower-level construals induced by How/Why manipulation lead to harsher moral condemnation than higher-level construals. We then speculate on the puzzling patterns of results regarding the role of temporal distance in shaping moral judgment. And we conclude by discussing the complexity of morality and propose that it may be important to incorporate cultural systems into the study of moral cognition.

Replication of Experiments Evaluating Impact of Psychological Distance on Moral Judgment

2014 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 223-231 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iris L. Žeželj ◽  
Biljana R. Jokić
Keyword(s):  
Moral Judgment ◽  
Social Distance ◽  
Psychological Distance ◽  
Temporal Distance ◽  
Construal Level ◽  
Systematic Effect ◽  
Replication Studies ◽  
Opposite Conclusion ◽  
Moral Transgressions ◽  
Replication Of Experiments

Eyal, Liberman, and Trope (2008) established that people judged moral transgressions more harshly and virtuous acts more positively when the acts were psychologically distant than close. In a series of conceptual and direct replications, Gong and Medin (2012) came to the opposite conclusion. Attempting to resolve these inconsistencies, we conducted four high-powered replication studies in which we varied temporal distance (Studies 1 and 3), social distance (Study 2) or construal level (Study 4), and registered their impact on moral judgment. We found no systematic effect of temporal distance, the effect of social distance consistent with Eyal et al., and the reversed effect of direct construal level manipulation, consistent with Gong and Medin. Possible explanations for the incompatible results are discussed.

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