Distant Temporal Distance and Creative Thinking: The Mediating Role of Promotion Motivation

Abstract

The present study examined the effect of distant temporal distance on creative thinking and the underlying motivation mechanism. We tested our hypotheses in four studies. In Studies 1-4, participants in the distant temporal distance opposed to the proximal temporal distance performed better on a series of creative thinking tasks: the Verbal Divergent Thinking Test (Study 1), the Chinese Remote Associates Test (Study 2), the Toy Design Task (Study 3) and the Ad Evaluation Task (Study 4). Moreover, Studies 2 and 3 found that promotion motivation mediated the beneficial effect of distant temporal distance on the performance of the two creative thinking tasks. In conclusion, distant temporal distance facilitated creative thinking, and promotion motivation mediated this beneficial effect.

Beyond society's desire for a slowed‐down temporal experience: Toward a nomological network of individuals' need‐for deceleration

“…We expect divergent associations between need‐for‐deceleration and the two regulatory systems based on previous work on regulatory focus and temporal distance (Pennington & Roese, 2003; Xu & Chen, 2020). Specifically, temporal distance aspects of regulatory focus may predispose individuals to differentially respond to threats (Chen et al, 2020; Kim, 2022; Kim & Kim, 2022). In general, promotion focus tends to predominate for temporally distant goals, whereas proximal goals are characterized by more balanced consideration of both promotion‐ and prevention‐focused concerns (Pennington & Roese, 2003).…”

“…Life satisfaction is characterized by a prevalence of positive affect and an absence of negative affect (Kuppens et al, 2008). Important to the present context, life satisfaction correlates with reduced mortality (Chida & Steptoe, 2008), sounder sleep (Brand et al, 2010 and less burnout (Roche & Haar, 2013). These stress-related correlates of life satisfaction should be indicative of a negative association with need-for-deceleration, as consumers who are more satisfied with life should be less likely to experience life as excessively fast-paced and stressful (i.e., the negative affect), thereby exhibiting a lesser motivation to escape.…”