Merchandising/Marketing/Retailing: Branding

The Impact of Regulatory Focus and Temporal Distance on Evaluation of Online Consumer Reviews

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Abstract

As a form of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM), online consumer reviews have been regarded as one of the most influential sources of information transmission that directly affects consumers' product evaluations and purchase decisions (Doh & Hwang, 2009). By integrating regulatory focus theory (Higgins, 1997) and construal level theory (Liberman & Trope, 1998), this study aims to investigate whether the persuasive effects of self-regulatory focused reviews vary as a function of temporal distance. A lab experiment was conducted to exam the hypotheses and a total of 219 undergraduate students at a large Midwestern university participated. The findings showed that the prevention-focused reviews resulted in more favorable attitude toward the reviews than the promotion-focused reviews in the near future condition. However, there was no significant differences in review attitude between prevention-focused reviews and promotion-focused reviews in distant future condition. Theoretical and practical implications for marketing practitioner in apparel industry are discussed.

How to Cite:

Kim, S. & Kim, Y., (2016) “The Impact of Regulatory Focus and Temporal Distance on Evaluation of Online Consumer Reviews”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 73(1).