Psychological Distance of Consumers’ Selves: Reality Vs. Ideals

Consumers’ ideal self-concepts are rather hypothetical and related to the future as compared to actual self-concepts which are experienced in the here and now. Thus, the ideal self-concept may be perceived as more psychologically distant. Based on construal level theory, the authors empirically examine this association and find that consumers construe their ideal self-concept on a more abstract level than their actual self-concept. The level of abstractness decreases if consumers perceive their ideal self-concept as likely attainable. Furthermore, the psychological distance associated with the ideal self is characterized by several dimensions (mainly temporal, hypothetical, and spatial) which have managerial implications for the design of marketing activities. Additionally, the findings extend construal level theory into the domain of consumers’ self-concepts.