解释水平对自我控制的影响

解释水平理论认为自我控制是人们依据对事件整体的高解释水平方式而非局部的低解释水平方式做出决策和完成任务。对时间折扣、坚持和健康行为以及前瞻性自我控制的研究表明高解释水平会促进自我控制。高解释水平是通过改变对诱惑的加工(包含对诱惑的态度和诱惑的激活模式)来促进自我控制, 但这种促进作用会受到目标和任务属性(重要性、难度、效价、完成时间和呈现方式)以及解释水平线索属性(外显和内隐)的调节。解释水平理论视角下的自我控制研究可以拓宽自我控制双系统理论和资源理论的视野, 如提供可能的边界条件和认知机制。未来研究还需要深入挖掘解释水平影响自我控制的内在机制和生理基础, 重视心理距离的影响以及加强对自控能力的长期追踪研究。     

解释水平理论的研究现状与展望

解释水平理论(construal level theory,CLT)提出,人们对事件的解释会随着对事件心理距离(时间距离、空间距离、社会距离、真实性)的知觉而发生系统改变,从而影响人们的反应.具体来说,当知觉事件的距离较远时,人们使用抽象、本质和总体的特征对事件进行表征(高水平解释);当知觉距离较近时,人们倾向于以具体、表面和局部的特征对事件进行表征(低水平解释).解释水平的这些差异有着重要的心理意义在远距离条件下,与高水平解释相关的特征在个体的决策和判断等过程中起着重要作用;而在近距离条件下,与低水平解释相关的特征在决策和判断中更受重视.     

解释水平和事件性质对活动设定时间距离的影响

以大学生为被试,设计两个实验,采用不同的解释水平操作,分别探讨"过去一未来"时间距离设定及.正性一负性"生活事件时间距离设定的解释水平效应,检验解释水平理论及其推论.结果表明:在未来和过去两个方向上,活动时问距离设定均存在显著的解释水平效应;而在过去活动时间距离设定上,事件性质和解释水平存在显著的交互效应:高解释水平与负性事件对应较远的时间距离,且不同解释水平的活动时间距离设定在负性事件上相差更大.     

自尊水平、事件效价与时距对过去事件时距估计的影响

在西方文化背景下提出的时间自我评价理论认为,人们为了维护当前积极自尊,主观上会远离过去失败而亲近过去成功。本研究采用线段评估法,选取311名中国大学生被试,通过两个实验考察自尊水平、事件效价与时距对过去事件时距估计的影响,以检验该理论的文化普适性。结果表明:对过去事件的时距估计,自尊水平、事件效价及其交互作用在同一时距里均不存在显著差异;时距的主效应及其与事件效价的交互作用均显著,在负效价水平上存在显著时距差异,在正效价水平上无显著时距差异。研究结果不支持基于西方文化背景下的时间自我评价理论。     

解释水平理论:从时间距离到心理距离

人们对事物的心理表征具有不同的抽象水平即解释水平,解释水平取决于人们所感知的与认知客体的心理距离,进而影响了人们的判断与决策。大量研究表明,人们倾向于更多地使用反映事物内涵的一般的、核心的、去背景化的特征来解释心理距离遥远的事物,更多使用偶然的、外围的、背景化的特征来解释心理距离较近的事物。未来的研究应明确区分解释水平本身、解释水平的表现形式和解释水平的前导变量;应更关注其他心理变量在心理距离、解释水平、判断与决策因果链条中的调节或中介作用。     

心理时间旅行的方向与事件情绪效价对任务自信的影响

时间是认识和定义自我的框架之一。本研究采用两个实验,探讨心理时间旅行对任务自信的影响。实验1采用自由回忆或想象过去、未来事件的操纵,结果发现：事件情绪效价影响任务自信,时间方向以事件情绪效价为中介间接影响任务自信,想象的未来事件比回忆的过去事件更积极,进而引发更高任务自信。实验2采用平衡回忆或想象事件的情绪效价的操纵,使效价与时间方向的作用相分离,结果发现：时间方向不影响任务自信,想象事件的情绪效价对任务自信的作用受到时间方向的调节。回忆过去事件时,效价不影响任务自信;而想象未来事件时,事件效价越积极,任务自信越高。对于时间旅行中的积极事件,时间旅行的方向不影响任务自信;而对于消极事件,想象未来所引发的任务自信低于回忆过去。结论：时间旅行的方向与想象事件的情绪效价共同作用于任务自信。     

时间距离对于验证性信息加工的影响

研究基于解释水平理论考察时间距离对于验证性信息加工的影响, 即在个体和组织决策情境中, 人们倾向于偏好选择和高估与自身观点和决策相一致的信息, 而不是非一致性信息。通过4个情境决策实验, 研究结果一致表明近期决策会提高信息搜寻和评估中的验证偏差, 而远期决策会降低它们的验证偏差, 知觉到的决策确定性在其中起到部分中介作用(实验1b)。解释水平(实验2)和期许性/可行性表征(实验3)分别在时间距离对验证性信息加工的影响中起到调节作用, 结果依次表明在低解释水平(高可行性-低期许性特征)条件下, 时间距离与验证性信息加工的负相关关系会得到显著增强, 而在高解释水平(高期许性-低可行性特征)条件下, 时间距离与验证性信息加工的负相关关系会得到显著降低。     

解释水平视角下的乐观偏差效应

研究基于解释水平理论,考查心理距离对乐观偏差效应的影响。实验从心理距离的事件概率维度、时间距离维度、空间距离维度入手,采用自编的材料对677名被试进行测量,探讨心理距离的远近对乐观偏差产生的影响。结果表明,被试对未来生活事件的判断存在总体上的乐观偏差。在较远的心理距离条件下,被试表现出更大的乐观偏差;而在较近的心理距离中,乐观偏差效应明显减小。但在时间距离维度以及消极事件的概率维度上,表现出与总体乐观偏差不一致的现象。     

心境对未来事件发生概率判断的影响

本研究采用短影片人为诱发心境的方法,用正性和负性两种情绪事件作为刺激材料,在控制人格变量的前提下,探讨了大学生在不同心境下对未来事件发生概率的判断中是否存在心境一致性效应。结果表明：（1）愉悦心境会增加做出积极判断的倾向,悲伤心境会增加做出消极判断的倾向;（2）无论是在愉悦心境还是在悲伤心境中,被试在对未来事件发生概率的判断上不存在性别差异。结果支持心境对未来事件发生概率判断有所影响,即诱发的心境与未来事件的效价存在一致性效应。     

洗掉不愉快的经历，留住幸福的时刻——回忆情绪事件对人们清洗/保留倾向的影响

基于道德与清洗的联系,我们假设,人们可能在经历非道德范畴的负效价事件后也会引发出“清洗”的倾向,而在经历正效价事件后则会引发“保留”的倾向。三个实验来验证这个假设,结果表明,被试在回忆道德或非道德范畴的负效价事件时,都会更多地选择具有清洗功能的物品,表现出“清除”负效价事件的倾向;相反,被试回忆正效价事件时,则会倾向选择具有保留功能的物品,表现出将正效价事件“保留”的倾向。     

The effect of construal level on unethical behavior

Construal level theory predicts that people will judge immoral events more harshly when these are presented in a way that elicits a higher construal level, relative to a lower construal level. Previous research supported this prediction using an Israeli sample but not a U.S. sample. This article compared Israeli and U.S. samples with respect to the interactive effect of utility and construal level on unethical behavioral intentions. We found that construal level did not affect unethical behavioral intentions in either the U.S. samples for low-utility level or the Israeli samples for low- and high-utility levels. In contrast, construal level affected unethical behavioral intentions in the U.S. sample for high-utility level: unethical behavioral intentions were higher in the low-construal level compared to the high-construal level. We discuss these findings and suggest additional factors that challenge arguments concerning the direct effect of construal level on unethical behavior.     

心理距离与建构水平的双向作用关系

心理距离概念源于时间建构理论,以自我为中心,参照点是此时此地自己的直接经验,并沿不同维度向外扩展,形成通常所认为的时间、空间、社会距离和假设性四个维度。本文述评了心理距离与建构水平的双向作用关系及其产生原因,即远心理距离使人采用核心、去背景化特征表征事物,近心理距离使人采用外围、背景化特征表征事物;反之,高水平建构使人感知到远心理距离,低水平建构使人感知到近心理距离。未来研究应关注非自我参照点的客观距离与建构水平的关系,以及心理距离与建构水平关系的心理物理学研究等。     

The effect of level of construal on the temporal distance of activity enactment

A series of four studies demonstrates that, across different operationalizations of level of construal, different types of activities, and for both the self and another person as targets, construing activities in high-level terms fosters perception of the more distal future as appropriate for their enactment. Specifically, the studies show that thinking about superordinate “why” (rather than subordinate “how”) aspects of actions, about the implications of actions for one’s personality (rather than the objects that would be used in performing the action), and about abstract (rather than concrete) aspects of actions leads people to expect the actions to be performed in the more distant future. These results suggest that the association of level of construal and time perspective is bi-directional, in that time perspective affects level of construal and, in addition, level of construal affects time perspective.     

不同促销方式对产品购买决策的影响—— 基于解释水平理论视角的研究

赠品促销与价格促销对消费者购买决策的影响研究结果尚存在分歧。根据解释水平理论, 通过三个实验探究了赠品促销产品组合与价格促销产品组合在不同任务类型、不同时间距离条件下的促销效果差异。结果表明：(1)不同时间距离下, 消费者对促销产品决策存在差异。赠品促销方式在近期将来购物场景下的促销效果比在远期将来购物场景下的促销效果更好; 价格促销方式在远期将来购物场景下的促销效果比在近期将来购物场景下的促销效果更好。价格支付意愿任务下, 消费者对远期将来场景下促销产品的感知价值比近期将来购物场景下促销产品的感知价值高; 购买可行性任务下, 消费者对近期将来购物场景下促销产品的感知价值比远期将来购物场景下促销产品的感知价值高。(2)时间距离对促销方式与任务类型的表征水平匹配关系有增强、扩大作用。购买可行性任务下, 与远期将来时间相比, 消费者更倾向于在近期将来时间条件下选择赠品促销产品组合。价格支付意愿任务下, 与近期将来时间相比, 消费者更倾向于在远期将来时间条件下选择价格促销产品组合。     

A construal level approach to understanding interpersonal processes

Construal level theory proposes that viewing events and objects from a distance (whether physical or psychological) leads individuals to construe them in more abstract, higher‐level ways. At high‐level construal, individuals focus on the overall gist or bigger picture, rather than on situationally‐dependent, concrete details. What patterns then emerge in how construal level relates to interpersonal processes? We find that an individual's construal level has implications for both (a) perceptions of others and (b) social influence. Specifically, our review suggests that high‐level (relative to low‐level) construal is related to greater holistic processing of the self and others by discussing literature linking construal level to person‐perception biases such as the fundamental attribution error and correspondence bias, as well as research on how construal level relates to stereotyping and prejudice. We further review a broad array of research examining social influence relating to self‐relevant feedback, the influence of aggregate versus anecdotal information, and the impact of abstract versus concrete language. We propose future avenues for CLT research relating to person‐perception biases, romantic relationships, stereotyping and prejudice, and the strategic use of construal level in the pursuit of specific interpersonal goals.     

Novelty Categorization Theory

Novelty Categorization Theory (NCT) attempts to predict when people perceive events as novel and how they process novel events across different domains. It is predicted that broad mental categories reduce the perception of an event being novel via inclusion processes, whereas narrow categories increase it via exclusion processes. Furthermore, based on a ‘motive to know’, when preparing for novel events, people broaden both perception and mental categories, because to understand novel information, it is essential to integrate it into pre-existing knowledge structures that are sufficiently broad. Over time, a ‘when-novel-then-process-globally’ routine develops that is automatically elicited when novelty is encountered. Self-protective motives can, however, counteract such processing styles so that threatening novelty leads to local processing. Relations to construal level theory and action identification theory and implications for future research are discussed.     

Effects of construal level and need for cognition on consumers' responses to temporally framed benefits

Applying construal level (CL) theory as a theoretical framework, this study examined the conditions under which temporally framed messages are effective. A 2(temporal framing: near‐future vs. distant‐future rewards) × 2(CL: high vs. low) × 2(need for cognition: high vs. low) between‐subjects design was employed. Data from two online experiments showed that consumers generated more favorable responses to the ad when the temporal distance matched consumer CL. Low‐construal consumers, either chronic or primed, were found to prefer product information framed with near‐future rewards. This CL temporal match effect appeared for consumers high in need for cognition only. Further, the matched message enhanced consumers' perception of message quality and this perceived message quality mediated the effect of the CL temporal match on consumer responses to the ad. Theoretical and managerial implications were discussed.     

时间洞察力特质对食品选择偏好的影响:解释水平对内隐偏好的作用

探索两类时间洞察力特质个体外显与内隐食物选择偏好。实验1用《津巴多时间洞察力问卷》选出"现在享乐"和"未来定向"两类个体,考察其外显食物选择偏好,结果发现,与"未来定向"组相比,"现在享乐"个体选择更多垃圾食品。实验2中,两类个体分别接受不同的解释水平操作,之后完成单靶内隐联想测验,以考察其对垃圾食品的内隐态度,并检验解释水平的调节作用。结果发现,与未来定向组相比,现在享乐组对"垃圾食品"存在内隐偏好。此外,对现在享乐者,解释水平改变会对食物选择偏好有显著影响;而对未来定向者,其影响不显著。这表明与未来时间定向者比,现在享乐者在外显、内隐层面对"垃圾食品"有选择偏好,并且解释水平会通过改变心理距离对其内隐选择偏好产生影响。     

Seeing love, or seeing lust: How people interpret ambiguous romantic situations

Interpreting ambiguous situations is a task individuals face on a daily basis. In romantic contexts the accurate interpretation of these situations is of particular importance. In the present set of studies we investigated how level of construal guides individual perception in these cases. When a high level of construal was induced participants likely interpreted a given interpersonal situation as the start or the continuation of a long lasting relationship. When a low level of construal was induced the same situations were more likely interpreted as leading to a one-night stand (in a dating situation) or involving little chance of a common future for both actors (in a break-up situation). In sum, the present studies demonstrate construal level to be a crucial determinant of the interpretation of ambiguous romantic situations. We discuss these findings in relation to the functional independence of love and sex, level of construal, and social perception.     

Temporal Doppler Effect and Future Orientation: Adaptive Function and Moderating Conditions

The objectives of this study were to examine whether the temporal Doppler effect exists in different time intervals and whether certain individual and environmental factors act as moderators of the effect. Using hierarchical linear modeling, we examined the existence of the temporal Doppler effect and the moderating effect of future orientation among 139 university students (Study 1), and then the moderating conditions of the temporal Doppler effect using two independent samples of 143 and 147 university students (Studies 2 and 3). Results indicated that the temporal Doppler effect existed in all of our studies, and that future orientation moderated the temporal Doppler effect. Further, time interval perception mediated the relationship between future orientation and the motivation to cope at long time intervals. Finally, positive affect was found to enhance the temporal Doppler effect, whereas control deprivation did not influence the effect. The temporal Doppler effect is moderated by the personality trait of future orientation and by the situational variable of experimentally manipulated positive affect. We have identified personality and environmental processes that could enhance the temporal Doppler effect, which could be valuable in cases where attention to a future task is necessary.