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Expertise Relates to Spatial Distance: Individuals Spatially Close to Objects are Attributed Expertise

Authors: Friedrich, Scarlett;

Expertise Relates to Spatial Distance: Individuals Spatially Close to Objects are Attributed Expertise

Abstract

Individuals rely on the spatial distance between a person and an object as a cue to draw inferences about the person’s expertise regarding the domain represented by this object. In three studies, I investigated the relationship between spatial distance and expertise. In a fourth study, I tested the hypothesis that spatial distance affects the persuasion process (total N = 532). Study 1 provided initial empirical evidence that the shorter the subjectively perceived distance between a target and an object, the higher participants rated the target’s expertise. Studies 2A and 2B demonstrated the causal relationship between spatial distance and expertise. Across different domains of expertise, targets spatially close to an object were attributed more expertise regarding the according domain compared to targets at a large spatial distance. Study 3 revealed that the link between spatial distance and expertise is bidirectional: Describing targets as experts in specific domains caused participants to actively place objects closer to targets whose expertise matched the according object. Study 4 indicated that spatial distance affects the attitude change process analogously to expertise cues known from persuasion research. A communicator spatially close to an object was more effective at changing participants’ attitudes toward the object than a spatially distant communicator. The findings of the present studies support the conclusion that individuals infer another person’s expertise in a certain domain from the respective person’s spatial distance to an object epitomizing the relevant domain. Moreover, the results illustrate the relevance of spatial distance for persuasion.

Keywords

Persuasion, Expertise, Person perception, Perceived distance, Social cognition

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selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
0
Average
Average
Average
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