---
_id: '13642'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: Three experiments explored the effect of medium of presentation (pictures,
    words) and psychological distance (proximal, distal) on episodic memory. In particular,
    we predicted that memory would be better for congruent combinations of medium
    and distance (i.e., pictures of psychologically proximal entities and verbal labels
    of psychologically distal entities) than incongruent combinations (i.e., pictures
    of psychologically distal entities and verbal labels of psychologically proximal
    entities). Our results support this hypothesis. In Experiments 1 and 2, recall
    was better when medium and temporal distance were congruent than not. In Experiment
    3 people recognition was better when medium and spatial distance were congruent
    than not. These findings suggest that the decay of memory for details over time
    is a specific case of a broader principle that governs our memory system and is
    based on psychological distance between the individual and the target entity.
    More broadly, these results speak to the growing literature, which suggests that
    one of the major roles of memory is prospection. Within this framing, our findings
    suggest that the memory system serves prospection using qualitatively different
    information processing devices, depending on the psychological distance of the
    target from the individual.
author:
- first_name: Elinor
  full_name: Amit, Elinor
  last_name: Amit
- first_name: SoYon
  full_name: Rim, SoYon
  last_name: Rim
- first_name: Georg
  full_name: Halbeisen, Georg
  id: '85780'
  last_name: Halbeisen
  orcid: 0000-0002-9529-2215
- first_name: Uriel
  full_name: Cohen Priva, Uriel
  last_name: Cohen Priva
- first_name: Elena
  full_name: Stephan, Elena
  last_name: Stephan
- first_name: Yaacov
  full_name: Trope, Yaacov
  last_name: Trope
citation:
  ama: Amit E, Rim S, Halbeisen G, Cohen Priva U, Stephan E, Trope Y. Distance-dependent
    memory for pictures and words. <i>Journal of Memory and Language</i>. 2019;105(4):119-130.
    doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jml.2019.01.001">10.1016/j.jml.2019.01.001</a>
  apa: Amit, E., Rim, S., Halbeisen, G., Cohen Priva, U., Stephan, E., &#38; Trope,
    Y. (2019). Distance-dependent memory for pictures and words. <i>Journal of Memory
    and Language</i>, <i>105</i>(4), 119–130. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jml.2019.01.001">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jml.2019.01.001</a>
  bjps: <b>Amit E <i>et al.</i></b> (2019) Distance-Dependent Memory for Pictures
    and Words. <i>Journal of Memory and Language</i> <b>105</b>, 119–130.
  chicago: 'Amit, Elinor, SoYon Rim, Georg Halbeisen, Uriel Cohen Priva, Elena Stephan,
    and Yaacov Trope. “Distance-Dependent Memory for Pictures and Words.” <i>Journal
    of Memory and Language</i> 105, no. 4 (2019): 119–30. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jml.2019.01.001">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jml.2019.01.001</a>.'
  chicago-de: 'Amit, Elinor, SoYon Rim, Georg Halbeisen, Uriel Cohen Priva, Elena
    Stephan und Yaacov Trope. 2019. Distance-dependent memory for pictures and words.
    <i>Journal of Memory and Language</i> 105, Nr. 4: 119–130. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jml.2019.01.001">10.1016/j.jml.2019.01.001</a>,
    .'
  din1505-2-1: '<span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Amit, Elinor</span> ; <span
    style="font-variant:small-caps;">Rim, SoYon</span> ; <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Halbeisen,
    Georg</span> ; <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Cohen Priva, Uriel</span>
    ; <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Stephan, Elena</span> ; <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Trope,
    Yaacov</span>: Distance-dependent memory for pictures and words. In: <i>Journal
    of Memory and Language</i> Bd. 105. Amsterdam [u.a.], Elsevier (2019), Nr. 4,
    S. 119–130'
  havard: E. Amit, S. Rim, G. Halbeisen, U. Cohen Priva, E. Stephan, Y. Trope, Distance-dependent
    memory for pictures and words, Journal of Memory and Language. 105 (2019) 119–130.
  ieee: 'E. Amit, S. Rim, G. Halbeisen, U. Cohen Priva, E. Stephan, and Y. Trope,
    “Distance-dependent memory for pictures and words,” <i>Journal of Memory and Language</i>,
    vol. 105, no. 4, pp. 119–130, 2019, doi: <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jml.2019.01.001">10.1016/j.jml.2019.01.001</a>.'
  mla: Amit, Elinor, et al. “Distance-Dependent Memory for Pictures and Words.” <i>Journal
    of Memory and Language</i>, vol. 105, no. 4, 2019, pp. 119–30, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jml.2019.01.001">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jml.2019.01.001</a>.
  short: E. Amit, S. Rim, G. Halbeisen, U. Cohen Priva, E. Stephan, Y. Trope, Journal
    of Memory and Language 105 (2019) 119–130.
  ufg: '<b>Amit, Elinor u. a.</b>: Distance-dependent memory for pictures and words,
    in: <i>Journal of Memory and Language</i> 105 (2019), H. 4,  S. 119–130.'
  van: Amit E, Rim S, Halbeisen G, Cohen Priva U, Stephan E, Trope Y. Distance-dependent
    memory for pictures and words. Journal of Memory and Language. 2019;105(4):119–30.
date_created: 2026-03-27T10:16:46Z
date_updated: 2026-04-08T13:53:26Z
department:
- _id: DEP1500
doi: 10.1016/j.jml.2019.01.001
extern: '1'
external_id:
  isi:
  - '000459523200008'
intvolume: '       105'
isi: '1'
issue: '4'
keyword:
- Pictures
- Words
- Psychological distance
- Memory
language:
- iso: eng
page: 119-130
place: Amsterdam [u.a.]
publication: Journal of Memory and Language
publication_identifier:
  eissn:
  - 1096-0821
  issn:
  - 0749-596X
publication_status: published
publisher: Elsevier
quality_controlled: '1'
status: public
title: Distance-dependent memory for pictures and words
type: scientific_journal_article
user_id: '83781'
volume: 105
year: '2019'
...
---
_id: '13647'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: 'Drawing from construal level theory, we test the hypothesis that words promote
    thinking of events in terms of their abstract and central features (i.e., high-level
    construal), whereas pictures promote thinking in terms of more concrete and idiosyncratic
    features (i.e., low-level construal). In Experiments 1a and 1b, we found that
    verbal (vs. pictorial) presentation of objects led to broader, more inclusive
    categorization of those objects. In Experiment 2, we found that word (vs. picture)
    priming led to greater global (vs. local) processing of subsequent perceptual
    information. Finally, in Experiments 3 and 4, we tested the opposite direction
    of causality. Thinking about high-level “why” versus relatively low-level “how”
    (Experiment 3) and thinking about high-level categories versus relatively low-level
    exemplars (Experiment 4) led to more verbal versus pictorial thought. These findings
    provide converging evidence that medium (word, picture) is associated with level
    of construal. '
author:
- first_name: SoYon
  full_name: Rim, SoYon
  last_name: Rim
- first_name: Elinor
  full_name: Amit, Elinor
  last_name: Amit
- first_name: Kentaro
  full_name: Fujita, Kentaro
  last_name: Fujita
- first_name: Yaacov
  full_name: Trope, Yaacov
  last_name: Trope
- first_name: Georg
  full_name: Halbeisen, Georg
  id: '85780'
  last_name: Halbeisen
  orcid: 0000-0002-9529-2215
- first_name: Daniel
  full_name: Algom, Daniel
  last_name: Algom
citation:
  ama: 'Rim S, Amit E, Fujita K, Trope Y, Halbeisen G, Algom D. How Words Transcend
    and Pictures Immerse : On the Association Between Medium and Level of Construal.
    <i> Social psychological and personality science : SPPS </i>. 2014;6(2):123-130.
    doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550614548728">10.1177/1948550614548728</a>'
  apa: 'Rim, S., Amit, E., Fujita, K., Trope, Y., Halbeisen, G., &#38; Algom, D. (2014).
    How Words Transcend and Pictures Immerse : On the Association Between Medium and
    Level of Construal. <i> Social Psychological and Personality Science : SPPS </i>,
    <i>6</i>(2), 123–130. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550614548728">https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550614548728</a>'
  bjps: '<b>Rim S <i>et al.</i></b> (2014) How Words Transcend and Pictures Immerse :
    On the Association Between Medium and Level of Construal. <i> Social psychological
    and personality science : SPPS </i> <b>6</b>, 123–130.'
  chicago: 'Rim, SoYon, Elinor Amit, Kentaro Fujita, Yaacov Trope, Georg Halbeisen,
    and Daniel Algom. “How Words Transcend and Pictures Immerse : On the Association
    Between Medium and Level of Construal.” <i> Social Psychological and Personality
    Science : SPPS </i> 6, no. 2 (2014): 123–30. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550614548728">https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550614548728</a>.'
  chicago-de: 'Rim, SoYon, Elinor Amit, Kentaro Fujita, Yaacov Trope, Georg Halbeisen
    und Daniel Algom. 2014. How Words Transcend and Pictures Immerse : On the Association
    Between Medium and Level of Construal. <i> Social psychological and personality
    science : SPPS </i> 6, Nr. 2: 123–130. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550614548728">10.1177/1948550614548728</a>,
    .'
  din1505-2-1: '<span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Rim, SoYon</span> ; <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Amit,
    Elinor</span> ; <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Fujita, Kentaro</span>
    ; <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Trope, Yaacov</span> ; <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Halbeisen,
    Georg</span> ; <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Algom, Daniel</span>: How
    Words Transcend and Pictures Immerse : On the Association Between Medium and Level
    of Construal. In: <i> Social psychological and personality science : SPPS </i>
    Bd. 6. London, SAGE Publications (2014), Nr. 2, S. 123–130'
  havard: 'S. Rim, E. Amit, K. Fujita, Y. Trope, G. Halbeisen, D. Algom, How Words
    Transcend and Pictures Immerse : On the Association Between Medium and Level of
    Construal,  Social Psychological and Personality Science : SPPS . 6 (2014) 123–130.'
  ieee: 'S. Rim, E. Amit, K. Fujita, Y. Trope, G. Halbeisen, and D. Algom, “How Words
    Transcend and Pictures Immerse : On the Association Between Medium and Level of
    Construal,” <i> Social psychological and personality science : SPPS </i>, vol.
    6, no. 2, pp. 123–130, 2014, doi: <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550614548728">10.1177/1948550614548728</a>.'
  mla: 'Rim, SoYon, et al. “How Words Transcend and Pictures Immerse : On the Association
    Between Medium and Level of Construal.” <i> Social Psychological and Personality
    Science : SPPS </i>, vol. 6, no. 2, 2014, pp. 123–30, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550614548728">https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550614548728</a>.'
  short: 'S. Rim, E. Amit, K. Fujita, Y. Trope, G. Halbeisen, D. Algom,  Social Psychological
    and Personality Science : SPPS  6 (2014) 123–130.'
  ufg: '<b>Rim, SoYon u. a.</b>: How Words Transcend and Pictures Immerse : On the
    Association Between Medium and Level of Construal, in: <i> Social psychological
    and personality science : SPPS </i> 6 (2014), H. 2,  S. 123–130.'
  van: 'Rim S, Amit E, Fujita K, Trope Y, Halbeisen G, Algom D. How Words Transcend
    and Pictures Immerse : On the Association Between Medium and Level of Construal.  Social
    psychological and personality science : SPPS . 2014;6(2):123–30.'
date_created: 2026-03-27T10:21:03Z
date_updated: 2026-03-27T13:59:24Z
department:
- _id: DEP1500
doi: 10.1177/1948550614548728
external_id:
  isi:
  - '000349531200001'
intvolume: '         6'
isi: '1'
issue: '2'
keyword:
- construal level theory
- pictures
- words
- construal
language:
- iso: eng
page: 123-130
place: London
publication: ' Social psychological and personality science : SPPS '
publication_identifier:
  eissn:
  - 1948-5514
  issn:
  - 1948-5506
publication_status: published
publisher: SAGE Publications
quality_controlled: '1'
status: public
title: 'How Words Transcend and Pictures Immerse : On the Association Between Medium
  and Level of Construal'
type: scientific_journal_article
user_id: '83781'
volume: 6
year: '2014'
...