Improving Temporal Consistency of Preferences: The Influence of Mental Construal
Majority of the current literature on mental construal has focused on effects of varying construal levels on preference shifts whereas this research investigates the influence of mental construal on the change of preference consistency over time. Building on construal level theory, we propose that h...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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PsychOpen GOLD/ Leibniz Institute for Psychology
2018-11-01
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| Series: | Europe's Journal of Psychology |
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| Online Access: | http://ejop.psychopen.eu/article/view/1379 |
| _version_ | 1797972896337887232 |
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| author | Asli Elif Aydin |
| author_facet | Asli Elif Aydin |
| author_sort | Asli Elif Aydin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Majority of the current literature on mental construal has focused on effects of varying construal levels on preference shifts whereas this research investigates the influence of mental construal on the change of preference consistency over time. Building on construal level theory, we propose that high-level construal, which creates abstract, and decontextualized mental representations, leads individuals to more consistent preferences than low-level construal, which creates concrete, and contextualized mental representations. Furthermore we examine the effect of having a matching versus non-matching construal level at two different evaluation instances, on achieving greater extents of consistency. To test this prediction a mixed experimental design is employed, in which participants evaluated electronic products at two different sessions. It is demonstrated that when participants have the same construal level at two points in time, their evaluations become similar since they mentally construe the objects in the same way whereas when the construal level differs at these two points, participants focus on different aspects of the products, form different evaluations and have less consistent preferences. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T03:55:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cf5b0518f07e42c784874369a3ea3853 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1841-0413 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T03:55:38Z |
| publishDate | 2018-11-01 |
| publisher | PsychOpen GOLD/ Leibniz Institute for Psychology |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Europe's Journal of Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-cf5b0518f07e42c784874369a3ea38532023-01-02T00:48:29ZengPsychOpen GOLD/ Leibniz Institute for PsychologyEurope's Journal of Psychology1841-04132018-11-0114494996510.5964/ejop.v14i4.1379ejop.v14i4.1379Improving Temporal Consistency of Preferences: The Influence of Mental ConstrualAsli Elif Aydin0School of Applied Sciences, Istanbul Bilgi University, Istanbul, TurkeyMajority of the current literature on mental construal has focused on effects of varying construal levels on preference shifts whereas this research investigates the influence of mental construal on the change of preference consistency over time. Building on construal level theory, we propose that high-level construal, which creates abstract, and decontextualized mental representations, leads individuals to more consistent preferences than low-level construal, which creates concrete, and contextualized mental representations. Furthermore we examine the effect of having a matching versus non-matching construal level at two different evaluation instances, on achieving greater extents of consistency. To test this prediction a mixed experimental design is employed, in which participants evaluated electronic products at two different sessions. It is demonstrated that when participants have the same construal level at two points in time, their evaluations become similar since they mentally construe the objects in the same way whereas when the construal level differs at these two points, participants focus on different aspects of the products, form different evaluations and have less consistent preferences.http://ejop.psychopen.eu/article/view/1379preference consistencyconstrual level theorymental representationspsychological distanceelectronic products |
| spellingShingle | Asli Elif Aydin Improving Temporal Consistency of Preferences: The Influence of Mental Construal Europe's Journal of Psychology preference consistency construal level theory mental representations psychological distance electronic products |
| title | Improving Temporal Consistency of Preferences: The Influence of Mental Construal |
| title_full | Improving Temporal Consistency of Preferences: The Influence of Mental Construal |
| title_fullStr | Improving Temporal Consistency of Preferences: The Influence of Mental Construal |
| title_full_unstemmed | Improving Temporal Consistency of Preferences: The Influence of Mental Construal |
| title_short | Improving Temporal Consistency of Preferences: The Influence of Mental Construal |
| title_sort | improving temporal consistency of preferences the influence of mental construal |
| topic | preference consistency construal level theory mental representations psychological distance electronic products |
| url | http://ejop.psychopen.eu/article/view/1379 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT aslielifaydin improvingtemporalconsistencyofpreferencestheinfluenceofmentalconstrual |