title: How do we want others to decide?: Geographical distance influences evaluations of decision makers.
abstract: People who decide on behalf of others can be located at various geographical distances from their clients and constituents. Across five experiments, we examined the role distance plays in evaluations of these decision makers. Specifically, drawing on construal level theory, we examined how the type of information (aggregate or case-specific) that closer and more distant decision makers cited as the basis for their decisions influenced how they were evaluated. We found that people expressed more anger toward (Experiment 1) and were less enthusiastic about (Experiments 2 and 4) more distant decision makers who relied on case-specific (vs. aggregate) information. In addition, we found that people were less enthusiastic about decision makers who relied on case-specific (vs. aggregate) information when evaluators were in a higher-level (vs. lower-level) construal mind-set (Experiments 3 and 5). Implications for how decision makers can manage impressions are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, TX 78712-1043, USA. eburgoon@utexas.edu
authors.forename: Erin M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Burgoon
authors.forename: Marlone D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Henderson
authors.forename: Cheryl J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Wakslak
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D003142:Communication; D003657:Decision Making; D004215:Distance Perception; D005843:Geography; D006801:Humans; D007600:Judgment; D012919:Social Behavior; D013028:Space Perception; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: base rates; construal level; decision making; geographical distance; social judgment