Explaining the Complex Effect of Construal Level on Moral and Political Attitudes

Abstract

The literature on construal-level theory has provided a rich but complex set of findings regarding how abstract and concrete construals affect moral and political attitudes. One set of findings suggests that abstractness sharpens and polarizes moral and political judgments whereas other findings suggest the opposite. In this article I first review and explain both sets of findings. Second I argue that it is possible to reconcile seemingly contradictory results by considering (a) the interpersonal variation in core values (b) the confounding effects of utilitarian and deontological thinking styles and (c) potentially different effects of different manipulations of abstractness. I conclude by arguing that consideration of these factors would resolve the complexity in the relationship between construal levels and moral and political attitudes.