• Asia Marketing Journal
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2014

The goal-gradient hypothesis states that the tendency to approach a goal increases with the increasing proximity of the goal (Hull 1932). It was initially supported with an evidence of animal experiments and since then, several papers have investigated the goal-gradient hypothesis in humans. Although there are some evidences related to the goal-gradient hypothesis in human behaviors, none of previous studies can properly explain its underlying mechanism, and what's more, they were not able to suggest useful managerial applications in human behaviors. From these perspectives, this work points out that there are some theoretical weaknesses to apply the goal-gradient hypothesis into the complicated human decision-making behaviors and proposes an alternative theoretical mechanismthat underlies the goal-gradient hypothesis in human. Finally, it offers insights into managerial implications of the goal-gradient hypothesis in the marketing field. This study focuses on the changes in motivations for achieving goals, in terms of how approaches to goals vary according to temporal distance from those goals. Specifically, the temporal construal theory (Liberman and Trope 1998) is considered as the underlying mechanism of the goal-gradient in that the temporal construal theory argues how the temporal distance from a goal makes people change their associated values regarding to that goal. According to the temporal construal theory, the value of distant future outcomes (near future outcomes) is construed on the basis of abstract and central features (concrete and peripheral features), and it argues that distant future situations are construed on a higher level than near future situations. This means that the value associated with the high-level construal is enhanced over delay, whereas the value associated with the low-level construal is discounted over delay. Our propositions suggest that the goal-gradient behavior in human can be motivated by the different aspects or characteristics of the goal as time changes based on the temporal construal theory. Thus, the following propositions are proposed. P 1-1: If the goal is far away, consumers put more value on the central features that are more associated with the desirability of the goal. P 1-2: If the goal is far away, consumers put more effort into accomplishing the goal that has more central features, regardless of its peripheral features. P 2-1: If a goal is near, consumers put more value on the peripheral features that are more associated with the feasibility of the goal. P 2-2: If a goal is near, consumers put more effort into accomplishing the goal that has more peripheral features, regardless of its central features. We hope to provide sufficient managerial implications for the companies as our research aims to show how consumers react differently as they progress toward the goal. Proposed propositions may provide guidance for companies developing a loyalty program, enabling them to understand what kinds of benefits or services they should provide or emphasize to consumers in loyalty programs on the basis of the time-dependent changes in outcome values (such as gifts, reward coupons). The effects of temporal distance from a goal should inform companies' marketing activities and help themto determine where emphasis should be placed in designing the benefits of their loyalty program.

• International Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.11-20
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• 2015

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of the construal level and temporal distance of a message and consumer's Social Network Service (SNS) self-efficacy on consumers' attitudes toward SNS fashion advertising. This study employed a 2 (message configuration: high construal level/low construal level) ${\times}$ 2 (temporal distance: distant future/near future) ${\times}$ 2 (SNS self-efficacy: high/low) between-subject factorial design. The survey was conducted on Facebook users in their twenties (N=216). The results are as follows: First, attitude toward SNS fashion advertising and purchase intention was higher when the message construal level was lower and when the temporal distance was closer. Second, no interactions between temporal distance and message construal level for attitude toward SNS advertising and purchase intention were found in this study. However, interactions between temporal distance and SNS self-efficacy for attitude toward SNS advertising and purchase intention were found. When the SNS self-efficacy was high, message with the low construal level reacted significantly positive in terms of attitude toward the ad as well as purchase intention. It is expected that this study will provide insight for apparel makers or retailers to use SNS as a new advertising media for fashion marketing. Practical implications and limitations are discussed.

• Journal of Information Technology Services
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.31-51
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• 2019

Construal level theory (CLT) have been researched in wide range of disciplines such as marketing, organizational study, psychology, or education. Current study asserts that CLT would explain the effect of different devices of PC and smartphone on interaction between human-computer interfaces and information systems use. In CLT, those who are far from an object in terms of physical, temporal, social or psychological distance, they construe their understanding as abstract (high level) and vice versa. We hypothesized different size of digital device will increase psychological distance and result in behaviors that correspond to present construal level. The analysis result shows that users of PC recognized that they are socially distant from the device and those of smartphone felt that they are socially close to the device. However, the device did not have significant effect on attention to essential information, advertisement preference, and immediacy. The implication to academia, practice and future research and limitations are also discussed.

• Journal of the Korean Operations Research and Management Science Society
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.1-16
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• 2010

In consumption environment, the time interval is frequently found between purchase and consumption. The objective of this study is to determine how consumers' purchase intentions can be influenced by this type of temporal distance. Construal level theory holds that the 'distant future situation' tend to be construed on a higher level than the 'near future situation.' Accordingly, when considering the consumption in the near future, consumers tend to be more likely to focus on the feasibility of the alternatives than on desirability. Conversely, when considering the consumption in the distant future, they are more likely to focus on the desirability of the alternatives than on feasibility. Along with the previous literature, the current study investigates the effects of temporal distance between purchase and consumption on consumer choice. Moreover, we aim to determine under which conditions these effects pertain. To test our hypotheses, we conducted a 2(temporal distance:near future vs. distant future) x 2(alternative type:high desirability, low feasibility vs. low desirability, high feasibility) x 3(additional offering:no gift, free coffee coupon, free mini book) between subjects design. The results show that the main effects of temporal distance and additional offering are significant. The 2 way interaction between temporal distance and additional offerings is also significant. Specifically, the purchase intention differentiation from additional offering tends to be larger at shorter temporal distances (near future) than at long ones (distant future).

• Knowledge Management Research
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.163-178
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• 2017

Recent advances in technology are evolving to enable individuals to perform various activities necessary for their lives, without being constrained by physical, temporal, and spatial constraints. The online services and experiences that originated from solving the discomfort in the actual offline space have created the newness that can only be experienced in the digital world and furthermore uniquely new experiences in actual space as well. While many previous studies have suggested several interpretations of unique individual behaviors in virtual environments, a recent research approaches virtuality as an interesting perspective of the change of thinking style. Virtuality is defined as how far apart we are from everyday reality, and if the individual faces a situation far from reality, the psychological distance of the individual becomes distant and ultimately leads to the thinking style of high construal level. Otherwise, it is said to have a relatively low construal level of thinking style. In this study, I try to confirm the virtual distance as the role of psychological distance in new virtual contexts. Simultaneously considering temporal distance, which are most used in psychological distance, and virtual distance based on virtuality, this study tries to find whether the effect of virtual distance on product attitude is the same as that of temporal distance and check the relationship between virtual distance and temporal distance in the context of consumers' product evaluations depending on product information type.

• Asia Marketing Journal
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.97-121
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• 2015

In this research, we examine whether and why temporal distance influences evaluations of two different types of brand extensions: concept-based extensions, defined as extensions primarily based on the importance or relevance of brand concepts to extension products; and similarity-based extensions, defined as extensions primarily based on the amount of feature similarity at the product-category level. In Study 1, we test the hypothesis that concept-based extensions are evaluated more favorably when they are framed to launch in the distant rather than in the near future, whereas similaritybased extensions are evaluated more favorably when they are framed to launch in the near rather than in the distant future. In Study 2, we confirm that this time-dependent differential evaluation is driven by the difference in construal level between the bases of the two types of extensions - i.e., brand-concept consistency and product-category feature similarity. As such, we find that conceptbased extensions are evaluated more favorably under the abstract than concrete mindset, whereas similarity-based extensions are evaluated more favorably under the concrete than abstract mindset. In Study 3, we extend to the case for a broad brand (i.e., brands that market products across multiple categories), finding that making accessible a specific product category of a broad parent brand influences evaluations of near-future, but not distant-future, brand extensions. Combined together, our findings suggest that temporal distance influences brand extension evaluation through its effect on the importance placed on brand concepts and feature similarity. That is, consumers rely on different bases to evaluate brand extensions, depending on their perception of when the extensions take place and on under what mindset they are placed. This research makes theoretical contributions to the brand extension research by identifying one important determinant to brand extension evaluation and also uncovering its underlying dynamics. It also contributes to expanding the scope of the construal level theory by putting forth a novel interpretation of two bases of perceived fit in terms of construal level. Marketers who are about to launch and advertise brand extensions may benefit by considering temporal-distance information in determining what content to deliver about extensions in their communication efforts. Conceptual relation of a parent brand to extensions needs to be emphasized in the distant future, whereas feature similarity should be highlighted in the near future.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.19 no.10
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• pp.593-606
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• 2019

This study examines effective message strategies that fit with the characteristics of retargeting advertisements, based on the Construal Level Theory. First, we investigate whether the social distance that applies between interpersonal interactions can also be observable in an online environment and test the effects of social distance, depending on the type of online sites. We then examine consumers' construal level when social and temporal distances interplay, and how the effects of the messages change accordingly. As a result, social distance and message construal levels by website type were consistent with existing CLT studies. However, the hypothesis that advertising effects will be higher only when all, multidimensions' distances and construal levels of messages match, was partially supported. Also the current view, that the consumers' evaluations will show no difference to when either or both dimensions are distal, was rejected. Instead, when a discrepancy between temporal and social distance was present, the construal level of the message was more effective when congruent with the social distance out the two dimensions. Hence, it is possible to infer that the influence of psychological distance may vary depending on the dimension of distance.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.10 no.11
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• pp.307-313
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• 2012

The purpose of this study is to suggest a research for hotels' expected service quality which influences reservation intention of hotel services. And we checked that these relations are formed by mediating of customer value on the basis of temporal construal theory. The result of our studies is as follows: 1) An abstract hotels' expected service quality(a concrete hotels' expected service quality) influence more on the customer's the social psychological value(the functional value) than the functional value(the social psychological value). 2) The customer's functional value(the social psychological value) influence more on the reservation intention of hotel service near(distant) in time than distant(near) in time. This research provides a theoretical-practical implications to the marketing staffs like packaging designers as well as scholars to study hotel services.

• The Journal of Korean Association of Computer Education
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.33-42
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• 2015

Based on the Construal Level Theory, this study aims to investigate how information security vaccine users' selection intentions differ from each other according to the selection time of information security vaccine, advertisement message types, and information security knowledge levels. For the foregoing, this study conducted an experiment by applying an experimental design of 2(knowledge level: high/low) ${\times}2$(temporal distances: short distance/long distance) ${\times}2$(advertisement message types: how(concrete)/why(abstract)) on computer security vaccine softwares. As a result, this study confirmed that the selection intentions about information security vaccines differed from each other according to the temporal distance and advertisement message type, and also varied according to the information security knowledge level. In conclusion, this study provides an implication that the consideration of well-timed persuasive message is especially important for the users at the high level of knowledge. Also, this research implies the necessity of development of abstract thinking ability based on temporal distance for the users at the low level of knowledge.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.155-166
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• 2021

Objectives: Driven by a growth of single-person households and individualized lifestyles, solo dining in restaurants is an increasingly recognizable trend. However, a research gap exists in the comparison of solo and group diners' menu-decision making processes. Based on the self-control dilemma and the temporal construal theory as a theoretical framework, this study compared the ordering intentions of solo vs. group diners with healthy vs. indulgent (less healthy) entrées. The mediating role of consumption orientation and the moderating role of amount of menu nutrition information were further explored to understand the mechanism and a boundary condition. Methods: A scenario-based online survey was developed using a 2 (dining social context: solo vs. with others) × 3 (amount of menu nutrition information: no nutrition information vs. calories vs. calories/fat/sodium), between-subjects, experimental design. Consumers' level of nutrition involvement was controlled. A nationwide survey data (n = 224) were collected from a crowdsourcing platform in the U.S. Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance, independent t-test, univariate analysis of covariance, and moderated mediation analyses. Results: Findings reveal that solo (vs. group) diners have less (vs. more) intentions to order indulgent menu items due to a more utilitarian (vs. more hedonic) consumption orientation in restaurant dining. Findings also show that solo (vs. group) diners have more (vs. less) intentions to order healthy menu items when the restaurant menu presented nutrition information including calories, fat, and sodium. Conclusions: The findings contribute to the literature of foodservice management, healthy eating, and consumer behavior by revealing a mechanism and an external stimuli of solo vs. group diners' healthy menu-decision making process in restaurants. Furthermore, the findings provide restauranteurs and health professionals with insights into the positive and negative impacts of menu nutrition labelling on consumers' menu-decisions.