Effects of psychological distance on the negative emotions of immoral events—A study based on Weibo data

Construal level theory holds that the spatial and temporal difference affect the individual's representation of events, leading to different levels of emotional intensity. And according to the Psychological Typhoon Eye Theory, people in the center of events will be calmer while with the increase of spatial distance, the emotional intensity of individuals becomes stronger. The study used data from Weibo and adopted the research method of big data. We selected two fatal accidents of female passengers on DiDi ride‐hailing service as research objects to analyze effects of psychological distance on negative emotions. Psychological distance was divided into two dimensions: temporal distance and spatial distance. Results showed that the further away from the unethical event, the longer after the event, the higher intensity of negative emotions generated by individuals.