We propose that abstraction is an interpersonal process and serves a social function. Research on shared reality shows that in communication, people raise their level of abstraction in order to create a common understanding with their communication partner, which can subsequently distort their mental representation of the object of communication. This work demonstrates that, beyond building accurate models, abstraction also functions to build socially shared models – to create a shared reality.

中文翻译：

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共享现实和抽象：预测模型的社会性质

我们提出抽象是一种人际交往过程，具有社会功能。对共享现实的研究表明，在交流中，人们提高抽象水平是为了与交流伙伴建立共识，从而扭曲他们对交流对象的心理表征。这项工作表明，除了构建准确的模型之外，抽象还可以构建社会共享模型——创造一个共享的现实。