The Effect Of Self-Other Psychological Distance On The Balance Between Desirability And Feasibility

Based on Sagristano et al.’s study towards the balance between desirability and feasibility in the monetary decision situation, this study aimed to explore the effect of self-other psychological distance on the balance between desirability and feasibility in the monetary decision situation. Three kinds of methods were used to manipulate self-other psychological distance.In experiment 1, specific and abstract others were adopted to manipulate psychological distance. Participants were instructed to make scores to show then-preferences towards two choices (high desirability-low feasibility conservative choice & low desirability-high feasibility risky choice) when making decisions for themselves, specific others or abstract others. Experiment 2 used character questionnaire revised by Zhang et al. to manipulate psychological distance, comparing the scores separately made for themselves, similar others and dissimilar others. In experiment 3, a more direct measure of psychological distance (IOS) revised by Niu et al. was adopted to distinguish close and distant others. Scores separately made for participants themselves, high rating others and low rating others were compared to check the effectiveness of this manipulation method and the influence of psychological distance.Results showed that:(1) Compared to the scores made for others, scores made for participants themselves were significantly higher on the conservative choice (high desirability-low feasibility). (2) The means by distinguishing between specific and abstract others didn’t lead to changes in participants’preferences. (3) Compared to the dissimilar others, participants scored notably higher on the conservative choice for themselves and similar others. (4) Scores on the conservative choice made for the high rating others were similar to the scores made for participants themselves, but relatively higher than for the low rating others.These results suggest that self-other psychological distance can effectively influence the balance between desirability and feasibility in the monetary decision situation. Moreover, compared to the means by distinction between specific and abstract others, the means by distinguishing similar and dissimilar others and a more direct measure (IOS) are more effective in inducing or manipulating self-other psychological distance.