Take a different look: how concrete and abstract mindsets affect individuals' judgments and decisions

Taking a different look or a new perspective, studying a problem from afar or close up can affect individuals’ judgment and decision-making. Construal Level Theory argues that depending on whether individuals construe on a more abstract (higher) versus more concrete (lower) level, they will attend to different pieces of information, which may result in different outcomes. This dissertation builds on Construal Level Theory and uncovers open questions concerning judgments of truth, diversity, dishonesty, and the use of decision-making aids. It aims at offering answers to these questions, which have so far not been considered from a Construal Level Theory perspective. Jaffé and Greifeneder (2017) find that the negativity bias regarding judgments of truth might attenuate or even reverse under high compared to low construal level. Looking at diversity, Jaffé, Rudert, and Greifeneder (2017) show that individuals might appreciate working with a dissimilar other under high construal level, but prefer a more similar counterpart under low construal level. Looking at dishonest behavior, Jaffé, Greifeneder, and Reinhard (2017) highlight that Machiavellianism has a stronger impact under high compared to low construal level. Finally, Jaffé, Reutner, and Greifeneder (2017) look at decision-making aids and provide support for the notion that a simple device like a coin flip might catalyze decisions, allowing for more affect-driven decisions where individuals might have been undecided before. In sum, the research projects of this dissertation advance our knowledge in regards to how and in which contexts abstract and concrete mindsets affect individuals’ judgments and decisions.