Distance Good for Deals

Negotiations that take place over computer, without face-to-face contact, have more chance of success when those negotiating think there is greater physical distance between each other. That’s according to Marlone Henderson who says the finding is compatible with Construal Level Theory — the finding that people think about things more abstractly when they perceive that they’re further away in time or space. In terms of negotiations, thinking more abstractly is beneficial because it encourages negotiators to reflect on and express their underlying motives and priorities.