On the relations between distinct aspects of psychological distance: An ecological basis of construal-level theory

Construal-level theory's basic assumption of a positive relationship between psychological distance and abstractness of mental representations presupposes a unitary distance construct. Although prior research testifies to convergent influences of temporal, spatial, social and reality (probability) distance, there is no direct evidence for the integration function of all four major distance aspects assessed within the same study with reference to the same target objects. Does high (low) distance in any aspect imply high (low) distance in all other aspects, or are discounting effects (e.g., high temporal distance rendering high personal distance obsolete) sometimes apparent in negative correlations? In pursuing this question, we obtained strong and regular positive correlations between all four distance aspects, across judges and judgment targets, regardless of whether freely construed future episodes or really experienced past episodes were judged. Existing ecological correlations seem to account for the positive relationship between time, space, probability and temporal distance.

► Construal level theory affords a general framework for the study of psychological distance.
► Correlations between temporal, spatial, reality and personal distance are regularly positive.
► This holds both for freely construed future targets and for actually experienced past episodes.
► This pattern suggests an explanation in terms of ecological correlations.