Temporal distance and choice reversal: A regulatory focus perspective

Abstract

Everyday life predictions and choices often pertain to events that will take place soon or in the distant future. Marketers are eager to understand how consumers evaluate and make decisions concerning immediate versus delayed choice, in particular, how they make trade-offs between desirable and feasible features of products. The present research applies temporal construal theory to consumer choice of products differing in their desirability and feasibility among near and distant future action alternatives. The role of regulatory focus as a possible explanation for these effects is also examined. Three hypotheses were developed in this connection. Hypothesis 1 stated that temporal perspective can influence consumersa?? choice of products differing in their feasibility and desirability. Specifically, in immediate choice situations, consumers tend to emphasize feasibility over desirability considerations, and in delayed choice situations, consumers tend to emphasize desirability over feasibility considerations.. Hypothesis 2 stated that regulatory focus mediates the effect of temporal distance on consumer choice. Hypothesis 3 stated that regulatory focus will moderate the effect of temporal perspective on consumer choice.We conducted four experiments to test these hypotheses. Experiments 1 and 2 measured participantsa?? regulatory focus in forming their decisions, and assessed the predictions made in Hypotheses 1 and 2 regarding the influence of temporal perspective on choice, and the mediating role of regulatory focus. Experiments 3 and 4 manipulated regulatory focus among participants, and tested the predictions of Hypothesis 3 regarding the moderating role of regulatory focus across immediate and delayed choice situations.The first two experiments provided convergent evidence that temporal distance influences consumer choice of products differing in their feasibility and desirability, and confirmed the mediating role of regulatory focus in the relationship between temporal perspective and choice. Experiments 3 and 4 provided evidence that regulatory focus moderates the effect of temporal perspective on consumer choice. Specifically, under immediate choice, decision making was based more on feasibility considerations for the individuals of prevention focus, while promotion-focused individuals were not sensitive enough to issues of feasibility and desirability. In contrast, under delayed choice, decision making was based more on desirability considerations for the individuals of promotion focus, while prevention-focused individuals were not effectively influenced by feasibility versus desirability issues.The present research enhances the generality of temporal construal theory by applying it to a marketing context, and prompts a new research domain that links regulatory focus theory to temporal construal theory. It also has implications for real-life decision situations in which the available options entail a trade-off between feasibility and desirability.