Construal-level theory of psychological distance.

TLDR

Psychological distance refers to how far an object is removed from the self in time, space, social relation, or hypotheticality, and greater removal leads to more abstract mental construal. The paper proposes that thinking about future, past, remote locations, others, and counterfactuals are distinct forms of traversing psychological distance. Empirical studies show that the various distances are cognitively related, interact with mental construal levels, and similarly influence prediction, preference, and action.

Abstract

People are capable of thinking about the future, the past, remote locations, another person's perspective, and counterfactual alternatives. Without denying the uniqueness of each process, it is proposed that they constitute different forms of traversing psychological distance. Psychological distance is egocentric: Its reference point is the self in the here and now, and the different ways in which an object might be removed from that point-in time, in space, in social distance, and in hypotheticality-constitute different distance dimensions. Transcending the self in the here and now entails mental construal, and the farther removed an object is from direct experience, the higher (more abstract) the level of construal of that object. Supporting this analysis, research shows (a) that the various distances are cognitively related to each other, (b) that they similarly influence and are influenced by level of mental construal, and (c) that they similarly affect prediction, preference, and action.