AMPPS Construal-Level Theory

Effects of Psychological Distance on Mental Abstraction: A Registered Report of Four Tests of Construal-Level Theory

Sofia Calderon, Erik Mac Giolla, Karl Ask, Susanne Jana Adler, Jens Agerström, Burcu Akpınar, Nihan Albayrak, Francesca Romana Alparone, Shahrazad Amin, Antonio Aquino, Melissa Bachet, Baisile Baisile, Karin M. Bausenhart, Magali Beylat, Olga Bialobrzeska, Eliana C. Bloomfield, Lea Boecker, Matteo Bonora, Shannon T. Brady, Jared G. Branch, Nicole E. Brandy, Kelley T. Bui, Mariela Bustos-Ortega, Amparo Caballero, Andi Cai, Katarzyna Cantarero, Stephanie A. Cárdenas, Pilar Carrera, Jung-Tzu Chang, Hsuan-Fu Chao, Andrew G. Christy, Jennifer A. Cook, Junhua Dang, Scott Danielson, William E. Davis, Cara de Boer, Elise de Groot, Jaye L. Derrick, Sarah Dittmar, Tim Döring, Céline Douilliez, Martin Egger, Yannik A. Escher, Thomas Rhys Evans, Sofia Fabiani, Gilad Feldman, Nicole Fernandez, Julia Fischer, Magdalena Formanowicz, Malte Friese, Paul T. Fuglestad, Aurore Gaboriaud, Jessica Gale, Richard Gamrát, Oliver Genschow, Omid Ghasemi, Mauro Giacomantonio, Karolin Gieseler, Hedy Greijdanus, Siobhán Mary Griffin, Doğa Gül, Gul Gunaydin, Simona Haasova, Georgios Halkias, Christopher E. Hawk, Anna Helfers, Cindy L. Hernandez, Yanine D. Hess, Petr J. Horgos, Yehor Hrymchak, Markus Huff, Ezgi Ildırım, Biljana Jokic´, Yoann Julliard, Pavol Kacˇmár, Barbara Kaup, Hyunji Kim, Kyungmi Kim, Alan Kingstone, Kenan Koç, Lina Koppel, Anita Körner, Bibiána Kovácˇová Holevová, Paul Danielle Labor, Bronwyn D. Laforet, Fanny Lalot, Leonie Lamm, Sean M. Laurent, Sean T. H. Lee, Yi-Chen Lee, Edward P. Lemay, Jr., Zhicheng Lin, Yun-Kai Lin, Jia-Xin Long, David D. Loschelder, Katerina Makri, Harry Manley, Nicolò Maugeri, Randy J. McCarthy, Cillian McHugh, Katarzyna Miazek, Marina Milyavskaya, Coby Morvinski, Michaela Muchová, Sümeyye Muftareviç, Dominique Muller, Gideon Nave, Ben R. Newell, Cécile Nurra, Marc Ouellet, Asil Ali Özdoğru, Mia Pagnani, Daniele Paolini, Frank Papenmeier, Hannes M. Petrowsky, Stefan Pfattheicher, Jean C. Picado, Ryan M. Pickering, Danka Puric´, Alain Quiamzade, Jonathan E. Ramsay, Tristan Nicholas Renaud, Mónica Romero-Sánchez, Robert M. Ross, Ángel Sánchez-Rodríguez, Julio Santiago, Marko Sarstedt, Luke Scally, Michele Scandola, Judith P. M. Schachtner, Simon Schindler, Andreas Segerberg, Emre Selcuk, Verónica Sevillano, Edith Shalev, Xiaoyi Shao, Steven D. Shaw, Keyi Shi, Birte Siem, Pablo Solana, Meikel Soliman, Gaye Solmazer, Fatih Sonmez, Samantha K. Stanley, Janina Steinmetz, Adam W. Stivers, Aleksandra Szymkow, Maude Tagand, Yan Zhen Tan, Hilal Terzi, Miaomiao Tian, Gustav Tinghög, Ulrich S. Tran, David F. Urschler, Daniel R. VanHorn, Daniel Västfjäll, Bruno Verschuere, Amelie Verschueren, Anna Laura Vlad, Martin Voracek, Xiaotian Wang, Deming Wang, Lara Warmelink, Adam Kah Jjin Wee, Aaron Lee Wichman, Sera Wiechert, Karl-Andrew Woltin, Hoo Keat Wong, Jiawen Xu, Zai-Fu Yao, Siu Kit Yeung, Kumar Yogeeswaran, Iris Žeželj, Qing Zhang, Rene Ziegler, and Timothy J. Luke

Construal-level theory (CLT) proposes that psychological distance influences the level of abstraction at which something is mentally construed: Things perceived as less probable (likelihood) or further away from the here (spatial distance), now (temporal distance), or self (social distance) are thought about more abstractly. In this international multilab study, we tested four basic hypotheses derived from core assumptions of CLT and explore potential moderators and boundary conditions of the effects. Participants (N = 11,775) from 27 countries and regions were randomly assigned to one of four experimental protocols focused on different types of psychological distance (temporal, spatial, social, or likelihood), and each experiment manipulated psychological distance (close vs. distant). The protocols for temporal distance (n =2,941) and spatial distance (n = 2,973) were direct replications of Liberman and Trope (Study 1) and Fujita et al. (Study1), respectively. The remaining two protocols were paradigmatic replications, applying to social distance (n = 2,926)and likelihood (n = 2,936). The effects of psychological distance on construal level for the four present studies were as follows (positive effects are consistent with hypotheses): temporal, d = 0.08, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.003, 0.16] (effect in original study: d = 0.92); spatial, d = 0.04, 95% CI = [−0.03, 0.11] (effect in original study: d = 0.55); social, d= −0.27, 95% CI = [−0.34, −0.19]; and likelihood, d = 0.03, 95% CI = [−0.05, 0.11]. Pretests indicated that valence and abstraction were confounded in response options on the outcome measure. Controlling for this confound eliminated the hypothesis-inconsistent effect of social distance, d = 0.006, 95% CI = [−0.05, 0.07]. These findings provide limited evidence for the predictions of the theory and present a critical challenge for CLT.

Keywords: construal-level theory, mental abstraction, psychological distance, replication, multilab, open data, open materials, preregistration

Citation: Calderon, S., Giolla, E. M., Ask, K., Adler, S. J., Agerström, J., Akpınar, B., Albayrak, N., Alparone, F. R., Amin, S., Aquino, A., Bachet, M., Baisile, B., Bausenhart, K. M., Beylat, M., Bialobrzeska, O., Bloomfield, E. C., Boecker, L., Bonora, M., Brady, S. T., . . . Luke, T. J. (2026). Effects of psychological distance on mental abstraction: A registered report of four tests of construal-level theory. Advances in Methods and Practices in Psychological Science, 9(2), 1-29. https://doi.org/10.1177/25152459251401177

UAD Erasmus

Erasmus Öğrenim Hareketliliğinin Türk Öğrencileri Üzerindeki Etkisinin Elektrofizyolojik ve Özbildirim Ölçümleriyle İncelenmesi

Bernis Sütçübaşı, Günay Sağır, Amine Nadide Ergün ve Asil Ali Özdoğru

Bu araştırmada, Erasmus programı kapsamında yurt dışında eğitim alma fırsatı bulan öğrencilerin gruplar arası önyargıları ve 21. yüzyıl becerilerindeki değişim düzeyleri incelenmiştir. Bu amaçla özbildirim ölçekleri, bireysel görüşmeler ve elektroensefalografi ölçümleri bir arada kullanılmış; bu yönüyle çalışma, literatürdeki ilk bütüncül yaklaşım olma özelliği taşımaktadır. Araştırma, İstanbul’daki bir vakıf üniversitesinde öğrenim gören benzer demografik özelliklere sahip toplam 11 öğrenciden oluşan bir örneklem üzerinde yürütülmüş; bu öğrencilerden altısı deney, beşi kontrol grubuna atanmıştır. İki aşamalı olarak tasarlanan çalışmada, öntest ve sontest uygulamaları gerçekleştirilmiştir. Gruplar arası önyargı düzeyleri Örtük Çağrışım Testi eşliğinde kaydedilen elektroensefalografi verileriyle, 21. yüzyıl becerileri ise dört farklı özbildirim ölçeği ile değerlendirilmiştir. Erasmus deneyimine ilişkin nitel veriler ise bireysel görüşmeler yoluyla toplanmıştır. Nicel bulgular, deney grubunda Erasmus deneyimi sonrasında uyumlu bloklardaki tepki sürelerinde hızlanma ve D skorlarında artış eğilimi olduğunu ortaya koymuştur. Elektrofizyolojik verilerde, N400 bileşeninin son test genliklerinin ön teste göre azaldığı ve özellikle uyumsuz blok koşullarında marjinal anlamlılık düzeyinde bir düşüş eğilimi sergilediği gözlenmiştir. Bu bulgu, katılımcıların kültürel olarak uyumsuz uyaranlara karşı bilişsel çaba gereksinimlerinin azaldığını ve sosyal bilişsel uyum düzeylerinde artış olabileceğini düşündürmektedir. Nitel veriler, Erasmus deneyiminin katılımcılar tarafından genellikle olumlu bir şekilde değerlendirildiğini göstermiştir. Katılımcı sayısının düşük olması, elde edilen bulguların genellenebilirliğini sınırlamaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler: Erasmus, gruplar arası önyargı, EEG, Örtük Çağrışım Testi, 21. yüzyıl becerileri

Atıf: Sütçübaşı, B., Sağır, G., Ergün, A. N. ve Özdoğru, A. A. (2026). Erasmus öğrenim hareketliliğinin Türk öğrencileri üzerindeki etkisinin elektrofizyolojik ve özbildirim ölçümleriyle incelenmesi. Üniversite Araştırmaları Dergisi, 9(1), 13-31. https://izlik.org/JA82WP92KW

Examination the Impact of the Learning Mobility of Erasmus on Turkish Students Through Electrophysiological and Self-Report Measures

Bernis Sütçübaşı, Günay Sağır, Amine Nadide Ergün, and Asil Ali Özdoğru

This study investigated the extent to which students who had the opportunity to study abroad through the Erasmus program experienced changes in intergroup bias and 21st-century skills. Combining self-report scales, individual interviews, and electroencephalography, this research represents the first comprehensive study in the literature employing such a multi-method approach. The study was conducted with a total of 11 students from a foundation university in Istanbul, who shared similar demographic characteristics. Six students were assigned to the experimental group and five to the control group. The study followed a two-phase pretest–posttest design. Intergroup bias was assessed using an Implicit Association Test administered during electroencephalography recordings, while four different self-report scales were used to evaluate 21st-century skills. Erasmus-related experiences were explored through semi-structured individual interviews. Quantitative findings indicated a trend toward faster reaction times in congruent blocks and increased D scores in the experimental group following the Erasmus experience. Electrophysiological data revealed a decrease in the post-test amplitudes of the N400 component compared to the pre-test, exhibiting a downward trend at a level of marginal significance, particularly in the incongruent block conditions. This finding suggests that participants required less cognitive effort to process culturally incongruent stimuli, potentially reflecting an increase in social-cognitive adaptability. Qualitative data showed that participants generally evaluated their Erasmus experience positively. However, the small sample size limits the generalizability of the findings.

Keywords: Erasmus program, intergroup bias, EEG, implicit association test, 21st-century skills

Citation: Sütçübaşı, B., Sağır, G., Ergün, A. N., & Özdoğru, A. A. (2026). Examination the impact of the learning mobility of Erasmus on Turkish students through electrophysiological and self-report measures. Journal of University Research, 9(1), 13-31. https://izlik.org/JA82WP92KW

Discover AI

University Students’ Perceptions and Adoptions of AI: A Cross-National Study

Fernando Marmolejo-Ramos, Rhoda Abadia, Özge Karakale, Carlos Barrera-Causil, Niko Männikkö, Babak Daneshvar Ghorbani, Artur Strzelecki, Stella Nwizu, Célia Tavares, Mauricio Castillo, Bruno Escajal, Pilar Rodriguez, Bidisha Som, Van Giang Ngo, Asil Ali Özdoğru, Kris Ariyabuddhiphongs, Santat Thongrin, and Julian Tejada

Recent advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI), especially large language models (LLMs), are rapidly transforming educational practices worldwide. Despite growing adoption, there is limited cross-national evidence on how university students perceive and engage with these technologies. This study addresses this gap by analyzing data from 1906 students across 13 countries, using a novel psychometric approach that leverages LLMs for item generation and validation. Our findings reveal that students’ trust in AI, familiarity with algorithms, and lower anxiety about AI are key predictors of positive perceptions and adoption of LLMs in learning. Notably, most students with even minimal trust in AI reported using LLMs, primarily for coding, idea generation, and writing, and perceived them as at least moderately effective. In contrast, students who did not use LLMs were unlikely to use other AI tools. These results underscore the importance of fostering trust and AI literacy to support effective integration of AI technologies in tertiary education. Practical implications include the need for targeted training programs, transparent data practices, and strategies to address student anxiety and promote responsible use. By providing cross-national insights and introducing innovative measurement tools, this study offers actionable recommendations for educators, institutions, and policymakers seeking to enhance student engagement with AI in diverse educational contexts.

Keywords: Large language models, Generative AI, Online learning, Perception of AI, Adoption of AI, Psychometrics

Citation: Marmolejo-Ramos, F., Abadia, R., Karakale, Ö., Barrera-Causil, C., Männikkö, N., Ghorbani, B. D., Strzelecki, A., Nwizu, S., Tavares, C., Castillo, M., Escajal, B., Rodriguez, P., Som, B., Ngo, V. G., Özdoğru, A. A., Ariyabuddhiphongs, K., Thongrin, S., & Tejada, J. (2026). University students’ perceptions and adoptions of AI: A cross-national study. Discover Artificial Intelligence, 6, 320. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44163-026-01042-4

FYI 2026

The real question is not whether machines think but whether men do. The mystery which surrounds a thinking machine already surrounds a thinking man.

B. F. Skinner (1969) Contingencies of Reinforcement: A Theoretical Analysis

Before we as individuals are even conscious of our existence we have been profoundly influenced for a considerable time (since before birth) by our relationship to other individuals who have complicated histories, and are members of a society which has an infinitely more complicated and longer history than they do (and are members of it at a particular time and place in that history); and by the time we are able to make conscious choices we are already making use of categories in a language which has reached a particular degree of development through the lives of countless generations of human beings before us. . . . We are social creatures to the inmost centre of our being. The notion that one can begin anything at all from scratch, free from the past, or unindebted to others, could not conceivably be more wrong.

Karl Popper (1973) "Popper"

The Trifid Nebula and the Lagoon Nebula © 2026 NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory