Work

The Effect of Construal Level on Subjective Probability Estimates

Year: 2008

Type: article

Abstract: In a series of studies, we examined novel predictions drawn from a conceptualization of probability as psychological distance. Manipulating construal level in a number of different ways and examining a variety of probability judgments, we found that participants led to adopt a high-level-construal mind-set made lower probability assessments than did those led to adopt a low-level-construal mind-set. Moreover, this occurred even when construal level was manipulated in a context separate from the judgment task and the manipulation was unrelated in content to the events being judged. These findings suggest that broad processing variables can exert a widespread influence on probability judgment.

Source: Psychological Science

DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02250.x

Authors: Cheryl Wakslak, Yaacov Trope

Institution: New York University

Language: English

Topic: Decision-Making and Behavioral Economics

Subfield: General Decision Sciences

Field: Decision Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funder: National Institute of Mental Health

Award: Temporal Framing and Self-Consistent Choice