心理距离对自发特质推理的影响

The Influence of Psychological Distance on Spontaneous Trait Inference

采用错误再认范式,考察了心理距离是否影响个体对他人行为的自发特质推理。实验1采用2(配对类型:图片-可推测的特质词、图片-不可推测的特质词)×2(空间距离:近、远)的混合设计,要求被试判断特质词是否在前面的行为句中出现过,以探讨自发特质推理形成情况。结果表明,与近空间距离相比,被试对远空间心理距离的行为主体产生了更多的自发特质推理。实验2采用2(配对类型:图片-可推测的特质词、图片-不可推测的特质词)×2(时间距离:近、远)的混合设计,被试反应与实验1相同。结果发现,与近时间心理距离相比,被试对远时间心理距离的行为主体产生了更多的自发特质推理。实验结果提示远心理距离比近心理距离更利于自发特质推理,并在解释水平理论的框架内对结果进行了讨论。

Does psychological distance affect perceivers＇ formation of spontaneous trait inferences （STI） from others＇ behaviors？ On the basis of construal level theory （CLT） which posits that distant （vs. close） entities are represented more in terms of their abstract, glob- al, and decontextualized features, in this study we predicted that perceived distance would increase the perceivers＇ tendency to draw spontaneous trait inferences from behavioral information about actors. The present study adopted a false recognition paradigm to explore the impact of psychological distance on spontaneous trait inferences. Experiment 1 used 2 （pair type： photograph- relevant trait words, photograph- irrelevant trait words） x 2 （spatial distance： close, distant） mixed design. In the study phase, 69 participants viewed two kinds of spatial distance photographs of actors paired with one - sentence trait - implying behavioral statements about them. In the test phase, those participants saw the same photographs paired with trait words. Then they were asked to decide whether they had seen the trait words in the previous sentence about this person to ex- plore the formation of spontaneous trait inference. The results showed that perceivers formed more STIs about spatially distal actors vs. spatially proximal actors. Experiment 2 used 2 （ pair type ： photograph - relevant trait words, photograph - irrelevant trait words） x 2 （ temporal distance ： close, distant） mixed design with 67 participants. The experiment procedure was the same as Experiment 1 except for the distance ma- nipulation. The results showed that, compared with temporally proximal actors, perceivers formed more STIs about temporally distal ac- tors. In sum, distant psychological distance facilitates STI formation compared with proximal psychological distance. Results were dis- cussed within the framework of construal level theory.