A systematic review of applications, manipulations and manipulation checks of construal level theory in advertising
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 14995074 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Muhammad Rashid Saeed (0000-0002-2961-1943, Marketing Discipline, UQ Business School, The University of Queensland , Queensland), Hiba Khan (0000-0002-1623-9396, Bond University, City of Gold Coast , Queensland), Huda Khan (0000-0002-4962-9526, Africa-Asia Centre for Sustainability Research, Business School, University of Aberdeen ; Visiting Researcher, Innolab, University of Vaasa, Vaasa), Richard Lee (0000-0002-2196-4859, UniSA Business, University of South Australia , Adelaide) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 35 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 63-95 |
| Publication date | 2025-05-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Communication Theory (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1050-3293 • E-ISSN: 1468-2885 |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1093/ct/qtae026 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
| References cited | 173 |
Advertising research has increasingly applied construal level theory (CLT) to predict advertising effectiveness. This study systematically reviews and synthesizes CLT-based advertising research by focusing on the theoretical tenets of CLT, construal-level manipulations, and construal-level manipulation checks applied in this research domain. This is the first systematic review of CLT-based advertising research involving psychological distance, which is the distance from self, here, and now. The review identified 86 relevant articles published in top-ranked journals between 2009 and 2023, retrieved from seven electronic academic databases. It found that CLT-based advertising studies are primarily anchored on the theoretical tenets of matching effect, categorization effect, and psychological distance. It further identified and classified the construal-level manipulations used in CLT-based advertising research into three categories: psychological-distance dimensions, psychological manipulations, and marketing-related factors. Finally, this review highlights the critical gaps in existing research and offers avenues for future research
Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis
Construal Levels and Psychological Distance
The association between psychological distance and construal level
Forest before trees
Home sharing in marketing and tourism at a tipping point
It's the Mind-Set that Matters
Spatial Distance and Mental Construal of Social Events
Message framing in green advertising
The Effect of Construal Level on Subjective Probability Estimates
There Are Many Ways to See the Forest for the Trees
Uniting the Tribes of Fluency to Form a Metacognitive Nation
Seeing the forest when entry is unlikely
The art of writing literature review
Going green
Construal-level theory of psychological distance.
How to conduct a bibliometric analysis
Literature review as a research methodology
Towards a Methodology for Developing Evidence‐Informed Management Knowledge by Means of Systematic Review
Inspiring desirability or ensuring feasibility
Bridging psychological distance
Fear and anxiety differ in construal level and scope
Distance matters
When it pays to be clear
Attractiveness or expertise? Which is more effective in beauty product endorsement? Moderating role of social distance
Understanding the role of construal level in time-restriction
Slow versus fast
Smiling AI agents
Promoting Mask-Wearing in Covid-19 Brand Communications
Awe in Advertising
Nostalgia and Forestalgia
Dynamic Luxury Advertising
Promoting Forgiveness Through Psychological Distance
Social media influencer marketing
The Role of Construal Level in Message Effects Research
E-WOM messaging on social media
Using Theory to Design Evaluations of Communication Campaigns
Introducing the PCMC Model
Testing the effects of certain versus hypothetical language in health risk messages
The impact of uncertainty on tourists’ controllability, mood state and the persuasiveness of message framing in the pandemic era
The Construal (In)compatibility Effect
Subjective likelihood and the construal level of future events
Cognitive consequences of novelty and familiarity
Toward a deeper understanding of the ecological origins of distance construal
Cognitive consequences of affirming the self
On the relations between distinct aspects of psychological distance
The influence of abstract and concrete mindsets on anticipating and guiding others' self-regulatory efforts
Interpersonal similarity as a social distance dimension
When seeing the forest reduces the need for trees
Effects of temporal distance on a dynamic measure of action identification
Levels of personal agency
Promoting Covid-19 Vaccination
The cognitive functions of linguistic categories in describing persons
The role of feasibility and desirability considerations in near and distant future decisions
You focus on the forest when you're in charge of the trees
Bringing the Frame Into Focus
Temporal Construal Effects on Abstract and Concrete Thinking
Construal level mind-sets moderate self- and social stereotyping
Cognition from on high and down low
Flexibility now, consistency later
Feeling close
Construal levels and self-control
"Transcending the "Here
You Can't See Much in the Dark
Demand Artifacts in Laboratory Experiments in Consumer Research
Social Distance, Framing, and Judgment
The Floor Is Nearer than the Sky
The Distinct Affective Consequences of Psychological Distance and Construal Level
"The Future Looks "Right
Looking into the Future
No Pain, No Gain? How Fluency and Construal Level Affect Consumer Confidence
Feeling Mixed but Not Torn
Value from Regulatory Construal Fit
It's Time to Vote
Shifting Signals to Help Health
Is There a Substitute for Direct Experience? Comparing Consumers' Preferences after Direct and Indirect Product Experiences
| Unique citing works | 4 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 4 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 4 |