‘Where I come from’ determines, ‘how I construe my future’: the fit effect of culture, temporal distance, and construal level

The present research examined how individuals’ cultural orientations influenced the relationship between their construal level and temporal distance. There were two studies in this research. In study 1, the relationship between culture and construal level was examined through the Behavior Identification Form. In addition, the influence of culture on temporal distance and individuals’ construal level was investigated by analyzing participants’ descriptions of their lives. In study 2, the three-way interaction between culture, temporal distance, and construal level frame of persuasive messages (desirability vs feasibility focused message) was investigated. A total of 503 (study 1–279 and study 2–224) students from two different countries (Korea and the United States) participated in the study. The findings revealed that individuals’ cultural orientations influenced their construal level and perceived temporal distance. Consistent results were found in an advertising context. When individuals from a collectivistic culture were in a proximal temporal condition, they tend to show a more favorable attitude toward the ad emphasizing the feasibility features of the product. The reverse was true for individuals from an individualistic culture.