Assessing the persuasive effects of temporal distance and social distance on intentions to volunteer
Open Access
Author:
Ruiz, Jessica
Graduate Program:
Media Studies
Degree:
Master of Arts
Document Type:
Master Thesis
Date of Defense:
June 28, 2012
Committee Members:
Fuyuan Shen, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor Lee Ahern, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor Francis Erin Dardis, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
Keywords:
psychological distance social distance temporal distance persuasion construal level theory advertising
Abstract:
The current study examined the persuasive impact of employing various levels of psychological distance in prosocial communications, specifically social and temporal distance. Self-benefit versus other-benefit marketing appeals are considered instances of social distance, whereas appeals that emphasize the benefits received now versus later represent temporal distance. Low psychological distance is associated with concrete mental construals and high psychological distance is associated with abstract mental construals. Taking into account the propositions of psychological distance and construal level theory, the current study assessed the impact of individual characteristics on message evaluations and intentions to comply with message claims. Messages with the same level of psychological distance and messages that match participants’ own characteristics should be more fluent and lead to a higher degree of persuasiveness. A 2 (social distance: high and low) X 2 (temporal distance: high and low) between-subjects design experiment was conducted with an undergraduate sample. Results indicated that attitudes and intentions in response to prosocial messages could vary as a function of social distance. Differences in self-construals produced a gender effect with female participants reporting higher intentions to volunteer in response to messages with other-benefit appeals.