Representation over Time: The Effects of Temporal Distance on Similarity

Similarity is central in human cognition, playing a role in a wide range of cognitive processes. In three studies, we demonstrate that subjective similarity may change as a function of temporal distance, with some events seeming more similar when considered in the near future, while others increase in similarity as temporal distance increases. Given the ubiquity of inter-temporal thought, and the fundamental role of similarity, these results have important implications for cognition in general.

The PDF above is a preprint version of the article. The final version may be found at < http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2007.05.013 >.