Abstract and concrete self-evaluative goals

Assuming that people often hold the abstract goal of acquiring accurate fee dback but recognize that acquiring favorable feedback can make the self-eva luative process more comfortable, the authors posited that low-level constr uals (of how action is performed) would elicit greater self-enhancement mot ivation than would high-level construals (of why action is performed). Indi viduals chronically using low-level construals hal greater interest in down ward social comparison (DSC) and less interest in negative feedback (NF; St udies 1 and 3). Decreases in temporal distance (which foster low-level cons truals) also elicited greater interest in DSC and less interest in NF (Stud ies 2 and 4). The latter effect was explained by participants' aversion to inconvenience (Study 5) and not by approach-avoidance conflict (Study 6). T hese results suggest that the level of abstraction at which people construe self-evaluative situations can influence their feedback preferences.