Reversals of task duration estimates: Thinking how rather than why shrinks duration estimates for simple tasks, but elongates estimates for complex tasks

Individuals often estimate the duration of tasks that others are engaged in (time a colleague would take to write a report, time a spouse would take to get dressed for a party, etc.). Construal-level theory suggests that thinking about ‘how’ (vs. ‘why’) a task is to be completed shrinks duration estimates. We argue that this effect arises for simple tasks, but complex tasks yield a reversal. Specifically, because ‘how’ participants are more...