The Role of Mindset Construal and Psychological Distance Cues in Online Truth Judgments

• In Event: Bias, Intentionality, Judgment, and Decision Making

Abstract

Current research presents a novel application of construal level theory (CLT) for predicting online truth judgments. Previous CLT research showed that people’s mindsets and psychological distance information embedded in messages can influence truth judgments in offline settings. We experimentally tested whether a consistency between people’s mindsets (abstract vs. concrete construal) and psychological distance cues in tweets (spatially far vs. spatially close) enhances truth judgments of tweets. While no interaction effect was found, the results revealed a main effect of distance on truth perceptions. Participants judged tweets involving information on spatially close locations as truer than tweets involving information about spatially distant locations. Findings suggest that under uncertainty psychological closeness in messages can act as a truth-heuristic. Further research is needed for a better understanding of construal level and psychological distance interaction on online truth judgments.

Authors

• Hande Sungur, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

• Tilo Hartmann, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

• Guido M Van Koningsbruggen, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam