Effects of Psychological Distance on Mental Abstraction: A Registered Report of Four Tests of Construal-Level Theory

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cris.lastimport.scopus2026-04-22T03:10:17Z
dc.abstract.enConstrual-level theory (CLT) proposes that psychological distance influences the level of abstraction at which something is mentally construed: Things perceived as less probable (likelihood) or further away from the here (spatial distance), now (temporal distance), or self (social distance) are thought about more abstractly. In this international multilab study, we tested four basic hypotheses derived from core assumptions of CLT and explore potential moderators and boundary conditions of the effects. Participants (N = 11,775) from 27 countries and regions were randomly assigned to one of four experimental protocols focused on different types of psychological distance (temporal, spatial, social, or likelihood), and each experiment manipulated psychological distance (close vs. distant). The protocols for temporal distance (n = 2,941) and spatial distance (n = 2,973) were direct replications of Liberman and Trope (Study 1) and Fujita et al. (Study 1), respectively. The remaining two protocols were paradigmatic replications, applying to social distance (n = 2,926) and likelihood (n = 2,936). The effects of psychological distance on construal level for the four present studies were as follows (positive effects are consistent with hypotheses): temporal, d = 0.08, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.003, 0.16] (effect in original study: d = 0.92); spatial, d = 0.04, 95% CI = [−0.03, 0.11] (effect in original study: d = 0.55); social, d = −0.27, 95% CI = [−0.34, −0.19]; and likelihood, d = 0.03, 95% CI = [−0.05, 0.11]. Pretests indicated that valence and abstraction were confounded in response options on the outcome measure. Controlling for this confound eliminated the hypothesis-inconsistent effect of social distance, d = 0.006, 95% CI = [−0.05, 0.07]. These findings provide limited evidence for the predictions of the theory and present a critical challenge for CLT.
dc.affiliationInstytut Psychologii
dc.affiliationWydział Psychologii w Sopocie
dc.contributor.authorCalderon, Sofia
dc.contributor.authorGiolla, Eric Mac
dc.contributor.authorAsk, Karl
dc.contributor.authorAdler, Susanne Jana
dc.contributor.authorAgerström, Jens
dc.contributor.authorAkpınar, Burcu
dc.contributor.authorAlbayrak, Nihan
dc.contributor.authorAlparone, Francesca Romana
dc.contributor.authorAmin, Shahrazad
dc.contributor.authorAquino, Antonio
dc.contributor.authorBachet, Melissa
dc.contributor.authorBaisile, Baisile
dc.contributor.authorBausenhart, Karin M.
dc.contributor.authorBeylat, Magali
dc.contributor.authorBiałobrzeska, Olga
dc.contributor.authorBloomfield, Eliana C.
dc.contributor.authorBoecker, Lea
dc.contributor.authorBonora, Matteo
dc.contributor.authorBrady, Shannon T.
dc.contributor.authorBranch, Jared G.
dc.contributor.authorBrandy, Nicole E.
dc.contributor.authorBui, Kelley T.
dc.contributor.authorBustos-Ortega, Mariela
dc.contributor.authorCaballero, Amparo
dc.contributor.authorCai, Andi
dc.contributor.authorCantarero, Katarzyna
dc.contributor.authorCárdenas, Stephanie A.
dc.contributor.authorCarrera, Pilar
dc.contributor.authorChang, Jung-Tzu
dc.contributor.authorChao, Hsuan-Fu
dc.contributor.authorChristy, Andrew G.
dc.contributor.authorCook, Jennifer A.
dc.contributor.authorDang, Junhua
dc.contributor.authorDanielson, Scott
dc.contributor.authorDavis, William E.
dc.contributor.authorde Boer, Cara
dc.contributor.authorde Groot, Elise
dc.contributor.authorDerrick, Jaye L.
dc.contributor.authorDittmar, Sarah
dc.contributor.authorDöring, Tim
dc.contributor.authorDouilliez, Celine
dc.contributor.authorEgger, Martin
dc.contributor.authorEscher, Yannik A.
dc.contributor.authorEvans, Thomas Rhys
dc.contributor.authorFabiani, Sofia
dc.contributor.authorFeldman, Gilad
dc.contributor.authorFernandez, Nicole
dc.contributor.authorFischer, Julia
dc.contributor.authorFormanowicz, Magdalena
dc.contributor.authorFriese, Malte
dc.contributor.authorFuglestad, Paul T.
dc.contributor.authorGaboriaud, Aurore
dc.contributor.authorGale, Jessica
dc.contributor.authorGamrát, Richard
dc.contributor.authorGenschow, Oliver
dc.contributor.authorGhasemi, Omid
dc.contributor.authorGiacomantonio, Mauro
dc.contributor.authorGieseler, Karolin
dc.contributor.authorGreijdanus, Hedy
dc.contributor.authorGriffin, Siobhan Mary
dc.contributor.authorGül, Doga
dc.contributor.authorGunaydin, Gul
dc.contributor.authorHaasova, Simona
dc.contributor.authorHalkias, Georgios
dc.contributor.authorHawk, Christopher E.
dc.contributor.authorHelfers, Anna
dc.contributor.authorHernandez, Cindy L.
dc.contributor.authorHess, Yanine D.
dc.contributor.authorHorgos, Petr J.
dc.contributor.authorHrymchak, Yehor
dc.contributor.authorHuff, Markus
dc.contributor.authorIldırım, Ezgi
dc.contributor.authorJokić, Biljana
dc.contributor.authorJulliard, Yoann
dc.contributor.authorKacˇmár, Pavol
dc.contributor.authorKaup, Barbara
dc.contributor.authorKim, Hyunji
dc.contributor.authorKim, Kyungm
dc.contributor.authorKingstone, Alan
dc.contributor.authorKoç, Kenan
dc.contributor.authorKoppel, Lina
dc.contributor.authorKörner, Anita
dc.contributor.authorKovácˇová Holevová, Bibiana
dc.contributor.authorLabor, Paul Danielle
dc.contributor.authorLaforet, Bronwyn D.
dc.contributor.authorLalot, Fanny
dc.contributor.authorLamm, Leonie
dc.contributor.authorLaurent, Sean M.
dc.contributor.authorSean T. H. Lee
dc.contributor.authorLee, Yi-Chen
dc.contributor.authorLemay, Edward P. Jr
dc.contributor.authorLin, Zhicheng
dc.contributor.authorLin, Yun-Kai
dc.contributor.authorLong, Jia-Xi
dc.contributor.authorLoschelder, David D.
dc.contributor.authorMakri, Katerina
dc.contributor.authorManley, Harry
dc.contributor.authorMaugeri, Nicolo
dc.contributor.authorMcCarthy, Randy J.
dc.contributor.authorMcHugh, Cillian
dc.contributor.authorMiazek, Katarzyna
dc.contributor.authorMilyavskaya, Marina
dc.contributor.authorMorvinski, Coby
dc.contributor.authorMuchová, Michaela
dc.contributor.authorMuftareviç, Sumeyye
dc.contributor.authorMuller, Dominique
dc.contributor.authorNave, Gideon
dc.contributor.authorNewell, Ben R.
dc.contributor.authorNurra, Cécile
dc.contributor.authorOuellet, Marc
dc.contributor.authorÖzdoğru, Asil Ali
dc.contributor.authorPagnani, Mia
dc.contributor.authorPaolini, Daniele
dc.contributor.authorPapenmeier, Frank
dc.contributor.authorPetrowsky, Hannes M.
dc.contributor.authorPfattheicher, Stefan
dc.contributor.authorPicado, Jean C.
dc.contributor.authorPickering, Ryan M.
dc.contributor.authorPurić, Danka
dc.contributor.authorQuiamzade, Alain
dc.contributor.authorRamsay, Jonathan E.
dc.contributor.authorRenaud, Tristan Nicholas
dc.contributor.authorRomero-Sánchez, Monica
dc.contributor.authorRoss, Robert M.
dc.contributor.authorSánchez-Rodríguez, Angel
dc.contributor.authorSantiago, Julio
dc.contributor.authorSarstedt, Marko
dc.contributor.authorScally, Luke
dc.contributor.authorScandola, Michele
dc.contributor.authorSchachtner, Judith P. M.
dc.contributor.authorSchindler, Simon
dc.contributor.authorSegerberg, Andreas
dc.contributor.authorSelcuk, Emre
dc.contributor.authorSevillano, Veronica
dc.contributor.authorShalev, Edith
dc.contributor.authorShao, Xiaoyi
dc.contributor.authorShaw, Steven D.
dc.contributor.authorShi, Keyi
dc.contributor.authorSiem, Birte
dc.contributor.authorSolana, Pablo
dc.contributor.authorSoliman, Meikel
dc.contributor.authorSolmazer, Gaye
dc.contributor.authorSonmez, Fatih
dc.contributor.authorStanley, Samantha K.
dc.contributor.authorSteinmetz, Janina
dc.contributor.authorStivers, Adam W.
dc.contributor.authorSzymków-Sudziarska, Aleksandra
dc.contributor.authorTagand, Maude
dc.contributor.authorTan, Yan Zhen
dc.contributor.authorTerzi, Hilal
dc.contributor.authorTian, Miaomiao
dc.contributor.authorTinghög, Gustav
dc.contributor.authorTran, Ulrich S.
dc.contributor.authorUrschler, David F.
dc.contributor.authorVanHorn, Daniel R.
dc.contributor.authorVästfjäll, Daniel
dc.contributor.authorVerschuere, Bruno
dc.contributor.authorVerschueren, Amelie
dc.contributor.authorVlad, Anna Laura
dc.contributor.authorVoracek, Martin
dc.contributor.authorWang, Xiaotian
dc.contributor.authorWang, Deming
dc.contributor.authorWarmelink, Lara
dc.contributor.authorKah Jjin Wee, Adam
dc.contributor.authorWichman, Aaron Lee
dc.contributor.authorWiechert, Sera
dc.contributor.authorWoltin, Karl-Andrew
dc.contributor.authorWong, Hoo Keat
dc.contributor.authorXu, Jiawen
dc.contributor.authorYao, Zai-Fu
dc.contributor.authorYeung, Siu Kit
dc.contributor.authorYogeeswaran, Kumar
dc.contributor.authorŽeželj, Iris
dc.contributor.authorZhang, Qing
dc.contributor.authorZiegler, Rene
dc.contributor.authorLuke, Timithy J.
dc.date.access2026-04-16
dc.date.accessioned2026-04-21T11:40:44Z
dc.date.available2026-04-21T11:40:44Z
dc.date.created0202-10-27
dc.date.issued2026-04-16
dc.description.abstract<jats:p> Construal-level theory (CLT) proposes that psychological distance influences the level of abstraction at which something is mentally construed: Things perceived as less probable (likelihood) or further away from the here (spatial distance), now (temporal distance), or self (social distance) are thought about more abstractly. In this international multilab study, we tested four basic hypotheses derived from core assumptions of CLT and explore potential moderators and boundary conditions of the effects. Participants ( <jats:italic toggle="yes">N</jats:italic> = 11,775) from 27 countries and regions were randomly assigned to one of four experimental protocols focused on different types of psychological distance (temporal, spatial, social, or likelihood), and each experiment manipulated psychological distance (close vs. distant). The protocols for temporal distance ( <jats:italic toggle="yes">n</jats:italic> = 2,941) and spatial distance ( <jats:italic toggle="yes">n</jats:italic> = 2,973) were direct replications of Liberman and Trope (Study 1) and Fujita et al. (Study 1), respectively. The remaining two protocols were paradigmatic replications, applying to social distance ( <jats:italic toggle="yes">n</jats:italic> = 2,926) and likelihood ( <jats:italic toggle="yes">n</jats:italic> = 2,936). The effects of psychological distance on construal level for the four present studies were as follows (positive effects are consistent with hypotheses): temporal, <jats:italic toggle="yes">d</jats:italic> = 0.08, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.003, 0.16] (effect in original study: <jats:italic toggle="yes">d</jats:italic> = 0.92); spatial, <jats:italic toggle="yes">d</jats:italic> = 0.04, 95% CI = [−0.03, 0.11] (effect in original study: <jats:italic toggle="yes">d</jats:italic> = 0.55); social, <jats:italic toggle="yes">d</jats:italic> = −0.27, 95% CI = [−0.34, −0.19]; and likelihood, <jats:italic toggle="yes">d</jats:italic> = 0.03, 95% CI = [−0.05, 0.11]. Pretests indicated that valence and abstraction were confounded in response options on the outcome measure. Controlling for this confound eliminated the hypothesis-inconsistent effect of social distance, <jats:italic toggle="yes">d</jats:italic> = 0.006, 95% CI = [−0.05, 0.07]. These findings provide limited evidence for the predictions of the theory and present a critical challenge for CLT. </jats:p>
dc.description.accesstimeat_publication
dc.description.issue2
dc.description.physical1-29
dc.description.sdgPartnershipForTheGoals
dc.description.sdgQualityEducation
dc.description.versionfinal_published
dc.description.volume9
dc.identifier.doi10.1177/25152459251401177
dc.identifier.eissn2515-2467
dc.identifier.issn2515-2459
dc.identifier.urihttps://share.swps.edu.pl/handle/swps/2312
dc.identifier.weblinkhttps://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/25152459251401177
dc.languageen
dc.pbn.affiliationpsychologia
dc.rightsCC-BY
dc.rights.questionYes_rights
dc.share.articleOPEN_JOURNAL
dc.subject.enconstrual-level theory
dc.subject.enmental abstraction
dc.subject.enpsychological distance
dc.subject.enreplication
dc.subject.enmultilab
dc.subject.enopen data
dc.subject.enopen materials
dc.subject.enpreregistration
dc.swps.sciencecloudsend
dc.titleEffects of Psychological Distance on Mental Abstraction: A Registered Report of Four Tests of Construal-Level Theory
dc.title.journalAdvances in Methods and Practices in Psychological Science
dc.typeJournalArticle
dspace.entity.typeArticle