Construal Level Theory (CLT) proposes that socially close stimuli are represented more concretely than those that are socially distant. Teskey (2022) investigated whether images of hands automatically activate motor representations in a choice reaction-time task by manipulating the compatibility of task-irrelevant hand images (left or right) and the side of the afforded reaction (keypress with left or right hand). Interestingly, the observed compatibility effect was positive in one experiment with egocentrically presented hands, but negative in another experiment with allocentric hands. From the perspective of CLT, these findings suggest that egocentric hand images—being socially closer to the self—engage more concrete, modal representations than allocentric hand images, which should be perceived as more socially distant. In the present study, we replicated Teskey’s findings in a within-subjects design. Specifically, we observed a positive compatibility effect for egocentrically presented hands but no reliable effect for allocentrically presented hands. In three additional experiments, we introduced alternative distance manipulations. When egocentric human hands were contrasted with boxing gloves and non-human (monkey) hands, socially closer stimuli again elicited larger compatibility effects than socially more distant ones. However, a more subtle social distance manipulation involving images of young versus old hands failed to produce differential compatibility effects. Together, these findings suggest that response activation is sensitive to social distance when stimuli differ sufficiently in their perceived proximity to the self. Socially closer stimuli appear to elicit more modal sensorimotor representations, whereas socially distant stimuli engage more abstract, amodal processing.