Effect Of Temporal Distance Research Articles

Working Around the Clock: Temporal Distance, Intrafirm Communication, and Time Shifting of the Employee Workday

This paper examines the effects of temporal distance generated by time zone separation on communication in geographically distributed organizations. We build on prior research, which highlights time zone separation as a significant challenge, but argue that employees may time shift—move work-related communication to outside of regular business hours—to counteract temporal distance. We propose a theory in which employees’ tendency to time shift depends on the demands of their tasks and collaborative relationships and individuals’ ability to supply work outside of regular business hours. Analyzing communication-level data from 12,038 employees of a large multinational firm and using cities’ shifts to/from daylight saving time for identification, we find that temporal distance leads to sizable but smaller than expected reductions in volumes of rich, synchronous communication between employees. Consistent with our arguments, increased temporal distance significantly increases time shifting of work-related communication, especially among workers whose jobs are nonroutine and interactions in strong collaborative relationships. We further document that female employees and employees based in countries with stricter legal work hour limits engage in significantly less time-shifted communication. Our study improves understanding of a ubiquitous source of collaboration friction. It also sheds light on a potential source of inequities in workplace outcomes stemming from differences in individuals’ ability to work outside of regular business hours. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2023.17558 .

Differences in the temporal extension of self-continuity over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT This study examined whether the average levels and the temporal extension of self-continuity varied over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Three demographically matched adult life-span samples (n = 223 each) were gathered in the U.S. in fall 2016, summer 2020, and winter 2022/23. Participants rated their self-continuity 1/5/10 years into the past and future. Multi-level analyses examined the effects of temporal distance, past/future direction, and assessment time while controlling for demographics. The tendencies to report lower self-continuity for more distant times and for past versus future were weaker during the pandemic, and past/future differences remained after the pandemic. Discussion focuses on the possibility of mid-pandemic slowed time perception, increasing nostalgic self-reflection, and uncertainty about the future.

How to effectively present “book now, pay later”: the effects of appeal type, temporal distance, and traveler type on attitudes and purchase intentions

How to effectively present “book now, pay later”: the effects of appeal type, temporal distance, and traveler type on attitudes and purchase intentions

A temporal approach to online discussion during disasters: Applying SIR infectious disease model to predict topic growth and examining effects of temporal distance

Discussions on social media during major disasters are robust and often have multiple frames of reference. Temporal perspectives, however, are still lacking in current understandings of social-mediated discussions during disasters and crises, but incorporating temporal perspectives can significantly enhance environmental scanning efforts as prescribed in the issues management framework. The purpose of the current research is twofold: to apply and validate the SIR (Susceptible-Infectious-Recovered) model to examine topics’ growth over time on social media and to understand how future orientation of social media users (an indicator of temporal distance) affects their construal of a disaster through supervised machine learning. We based our analysis on Twitter discussions during the Texas winter storm in 2021. Results of the study show great fit of the SIR model for topic growth, and that temporal distance affects users’ construal of the event in line with core predictions of construal level theory. Theoretical, methodological, and practical implications on social-mediated discussions related to climate change-induced and -intensified disasters and issues management are discussed.

The impact of partitioned pricing on hotel booking and the moderating effect of temporal distance

Utilizing the distinctive context of hotel bookings, where fees hold notable prominence, this study investigates the impact of partitioned pricing on consumer booking intentions. Our findings reveal that partitioned pricing in the hotel industry adversely influences booking intentions due to the perception of unfairness, rather than the perception of price, as observed in retail studies. Furthermore, this research confirms that temporal distance moderates the negative impact of partitioned pricing on booking intentions, while also uncovering asymmetrical consequences of payment timing across varying booking windows. These insights contribute to a deeper understanding of the conditional effects of partitioned pricing, thereby expanding the current pricing literature and offering valuable guidance for hotel industry professionals.

The effects of temporal distance and post type on tourists' responses to destination marketing organizations’ social media marketing

With the rapid growth of social media practice in the tourism industry, destination-marketing-organization-generated content (DGC) has become an important communication tool in promoting destinations. However, little remains known about the extent to which DGC affects tourist behavior. Based on a temporal construal-level research framework, which considers how the level at which a stimulus is construed influences consumers' information processing and decision-making, this study investigates the interplay effects of temporal distance and post type on tourists' attitude strength changes (Study 1) and decision-making processes (Study 2) from a dynamic approach. The findings reveal that the effect of DGC on tourists' attitude changes is contextual, and DGC is less influential on tourists' decision-making processes when they have a near travel plan than a distant one. This study significantly changes the current understanding of the scope of DMOs’ influence through social media, concluding that DMOs should not invest in DGC except for in specific contexts.

Effect of temporal distance and goal type on predictions of future information security: Focus on moderation of self-efficacy and social responsibility

We investigate how predictions of future information security vary according to temporal distance, goal type, and personal characteristics. A total of 368 participants rated the likelihood of achieving the two-goal types at present, and then one and ten years later. The future information security bias was found to be greater for a distant place than shortly, and it was found to be greater for private goal types than public goal types. Personal characteristics were classified into self-efficacy and social responsibility, and their effectiveness was verified. A self-efficacy test revealed that the information security bias for the two types of goals was higher when it was higher than the low self-efficacy group. In the case of social responsibility, the bias was found in the higher group than the lower group only in the public goal type, but not the private goal type. We conclude by presenting some implications for information security policy and suggestions for further research.

Temporal landmark effects in travel decision

Temporal landmarks have been extensively studied in the fields of psychology and consumer behavior but seem to have been neglected in the field of tourism. Based on the belief-desire-intention model, we constructed an integrated model of how temporal landmarks influence behavioral intention through positive fantasy. This study confirmed the effect of temporal landmarks on hedonic and travel intention and found differences in the effect of public and personal temporal landmarks. We examined the moderating effect of temporal distance by using construal level theory. The study also investigated the effect of temporal landmarks on choice behavior through a discrete choice experiment. Our findings provided marketers with management insights on how to use temporal landmarks.

COVID-19 Pandemic as an Opportunity or Challenge: Applying Psychological Distance Theory and the Co-Benefit Frame to Promote Public Support for Climate Change Mitigation on Social Media

ABSTRACT The current study employs psychological distance theory and the co-benefit frame to explore message framing strategies on social media to promote public support in climate change mitigation during the COVID-19 pandemic. This online 2 × 2 × 2 experiment recruited 708 Chinese college students to examine the effect of temporal distance (2025 vs. 2050), spatial distance (China vs. the global), and the co-benefit frame (present vs. absent) on behavioral intentions to mitigate climate change and policy support in climate change mitigation. Unexpectedly, the MANOVA results showed that the co-benefit frame of COVID-19 and climate change did not have main or interaction that affect behavioral intention and policy support. However, close temporal distance increases support for climate change mitigation. Meanwhile, temporal and spatial distance have an interaction on behavioral intention. Our results suggest that strategies to reduce psychological distance on social media are effective, especially on temporal distance, but bonding two events through psychological distance to promote support for climate change mitigation must be reconsidered.

The Effect of Inconsistent Online Reviews on Customers' Purchase Intention in E-commerce: a Psychological Distance Perspective

Inconsistent online reviews, which affect customers' purchase intention, are gaining increasing attention. In this paper we analyzed the mechanism of inconsistent online reviews that are posted by the same reviewer on customers' purchase intention. Our research was based on a psychological distance theory perspective, specifically in three dimensions: temporal distance, social distance, and hypothetical distance. Our findings were as follows: First, inconsistent online reviews had a significant negative effect on customers' purchase intention, and product type (experience vs. search) played a moderating role. Second, when customers faced inconsistent online reviews, temporal, social, and hypothetical distance significantly affected their purchase intention but this differed according to product type. The effect of temporal distance was more significant for a search product than it was for an experience product; however, social distance and hypothetical distance had more significant effects for the experience product. Our research conclusions enrich the literature on online reviews and provide suggestions for sellers on e-commerce platforms to manage inconsistent reviews according to product type.

Temporal distance and veracity effects on the level of detail in statements about intentions

AbstractConstrual level theory states that future events that are nearer in the future and events that are more likely to happen have lower construal levels, and therefore have less detail, than events that are further away and/or less likely to happen. Consistent with this theory, the number of details in a statement can be a moderately good cue to deception. If veracity and temporal distance both affect detail, detail may only be a good cue to deception about events that occur at certain temporal distances. This paper describes a study on whether temporal distance and veracity affect detail levels in statements about intentions. The results suggest that temporal distance and veracity do not affect detail levels in this dataset. Intentions that were completed also did not differ from uncompleted intentions. Overall, the study found no support for the hypothesised effects of temporal distance and veracity on level of detail.

AGE DIFFERENCES IN SELF-CONTINUITY REMAIN ROBUST IN RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract Self-continuity, the perceived connectedness to one’s past and future selves, predicts well-being and tends to be higher among older adults (Rutt & Löckenhoff, 2016). Self-continuity is also susceptible to major life changes (Sani, 2008). The pandemic brought dramatic changes in multiple life domains, especially for older adults who experienced higher rates of COVID-19 morbidity and mortality and may have been more likely to restrict their behavior as a result. This study examined whether age differences in self-continuity remained robust in response to the pandemic using representative U.S. survey data. Pre-pandemic data (Fall 2016, N = 230, aged 18 – 87, M = 50.85, SD = 16.40, 47.83% female, 67.83% white) and mid-pandemic data (Summer 2020, N = 230, aged 18 – 88, M = 50.20, SD = 19.49, 48.27% female, 64.78% white) were demographically matched using propensity scores. Participants rated their self-continuity one, five, and ten years into the past and future. Multi-level modeling examined the effects of age, temporal distance (in years), temporal direction (past vs. future), and assessment time (pre- vs. mid-pandemic) on self-continuity. Consistent with prior research, self-continuity was lower for more distant intervals, especially for the past. An interaction between temporal direction and assessment time indicated that future self-continuity was lower mid-pandemic than pre-pandemic. Across samples, however, advanced age was associated with higher self-continuity and the size of this effect did not vary by assessment time. Overall, findings suggest that even though future self-continuity decreased during the pandemic, existing age effects remained robust to this disruption.

The impact of destination online review content characteristics on travel intention: experiments based on psychological distance perspectives

PurposeThis study aims to explore the relationship between the content characteristics of destination online reviews and travel intention under three individual circumstances: temporal distance, social distance and experiential distance.Design/methodology/approachBased on construal-level theory (CLT), this study divides online travel reviews into concrete and abstract reviews. Three experiments were conducted to test the moderating effects of temporal distance, social distance and experiential distance on the influence of review content characteristics on tourists' travel intentions.FindingsThe results show that abstract reviews would lead to higher travel intentions than concrete reviews. Furthermore, tourists' travel intentions differed depending on social distance and were significantly affected by reviews posted by reviewers similar to review recipients. In addition, the study contributes by discovering that the moderating effects of temporal distance, social distance and experiential distance were not significant, which differs from most of the previous research conclusions.Originality/valueThis study focused on review content characteristics, which provided a novel perspective for constructing online travel reviews. Furthermore, this research defined the concept of experiential distance in the context of online travel and expanded the research on psychological distance.

Discussing proximal pasts and far futures

AbstractConsumers often share word of mouth, and such interpersonal communication shapes attitudes and purchases. But while some research has examined what consumers talk about, there has been less attention to when consumers discuss. How does the distance from now (i.e., whether something is temporally near or far away) shape the likelihood of discussion? And might the effect of temporal distance on word of mouth vary based on whether those things happened in the past or will happen in the future? Five studies, including analyses of thousands of social media posts, address these questions. They suggest that consumers tend to talk about temporally near things, but that this is moderated by whether they are talking about the past or future (i.e., consumers talk about more temporally distant things when talking about the future). Accessibility seems to play an important role in these effects. While temporally near things tend to be more accessible, on average, goals and plans are more likely to remain active in the future, which shapes what gets discussed. These findings have implications for understanding drivers of word of mouth, how time shapes consumer behavior, and how companies can more effectively manage interpersonal communication.

Effects of message framing, psychological distance, and risk perception on exercise attitude in Chinese adolescents.

ObjectivesHealth communication campaign that promotes physical activity may aid in reducing the prevalence of childhood and adolescent obesity in China. This study examined the effects of message framing and psychological distance on the exercise attitude of Chinese adolescents, along with the interactive role of risk perception.MethodsParticipants in this study were between 10 and 19 years of age. Three experiments were conducted independently. In experiment 1, 76 participants were recruited to assess the effectiveness of message manipulation. In experiment 2, 40 participants were recruited to compare the effects of gain- and loss-framed messages on the exercise attitude. In experiment 3, 37 participants were recruited to explore the interaction between message framing (gain vs. loss), temporal distance (proximal vs. distal), and risk perception (low vs. high) on the exercise attitude. Exercise attitude and risk perception were assessed by Likert-type questionnaires.ResultsThere was a significant main effect of message framing (P < 0.05), with the gain-framed message inducing a stronger exercise attitude than the loss-framed message. There was a significant main effect of temporal distance (P < 0.05), with the proximal temporal distance condition inducing a stronger exercise attitude than the distal temporal distance condition. In addition, a significant interaction (P < 0.05) was observed, and the perception of obesity-related risk was a crucial moderator of the message framing and temporal distance. Regardless of whether they were exposed to a gain- or loss-framed message, the proximal temporal distance condition induced a stronger exercise attitude in participants with a high risk perception (P < 0.05).ConclusionMessages promoting exercise that are framed as having a near-future gain effect and that emphasize disease risks are effective in motivating adolescents to engage in physical activity.

The Effects of Temporal Distance on Intra-Firm Communication: Evidence from Daylight Saving Time

Cross-border communication costs have plummeted and enabled the global distribution of work, but frictions attributable to distance persist. We estimate the causal effects of temporal distance, i.e., time zone separation between employees, on intra-firm communication, a critical means of coordination and knowledge transfer. We argue that temporal distance creates frictions for synchronous communication, which could be especially harmful for collaboration among employees engaged in non-routine tasks. Exploiting Daylight Saving Time (DST) as a natural experiment and detailed data from a large multinational firm, we show that among collaborators who experience an increase in temporal distance, total communication volumes drop by 9.4 percent on average, an effect fully driven by reductions in richer, synchronous communication. Further, we show that these declines are concentrated among employees in routine tasks. Employees in non-routine tasks, meanwhile, react to increased temporal distance by shifting synchronous communication across the boundary of their workday into leisure time. Additional tests show that workers’ propensity to employ this adjustment mechanism is only partly explained by differences in their ability to work from home. Overall, our findings provide evidence that employees collaborating on non-routine tasks place a high premium on synchronous communication even at the cost of personal leisure. We present additional evidence and draw implications for how temporal distance relates to strategic considerations such as worker mobility, co-production of patents, and temporal boundaries of the firm.

The role of temporal distance on forecasting the difficulty of goal pursuits

ABSTRACT The current research examined individuals’ perceptions of difficulty regarding goal striving in the near and distant future. Study 1 tested the hypothesis that predictions decrease over increasing temporal distance. Participants forecasted how difficult several goal-related tasks would be at varying points in the future. Our hypothesis was mostly supported. Results from hierarchical linear modeling showed many statistically significant linear and quadratic effects of temporal distance on predictions within and across goal tasks. Moreover, all future time points were rated as easier compared to now, with medium to large differences in difficulty. In Study 2, participants forecasted the difficulty of pursuing a goal-related task two days away, and we followed up to assess actual difficulty. Participants’ predictions were generally accurate. Goal commitment moderated accuracy, as individuals low (vs. high) in goal commitment underestimated (overestimated) difficulty. Overall, our results suggest that cognitions about future goal striving may affect momentary motivation and self-regulation.

Effect of temporal distance in the ultrashort pulse range on the ablation of polypropylene with single pulses and burst pulses

This research focuses on the ablation process of Polypropylene by femtosecond pulses. Single Pulses and bursts of 2, 3 and 4 pulses have been used to ablate squared cavities with side lengths of 2 mm. The pulse overlap and hatch distance have been adapted to the different pulse emitting modes used in the present study to ensure that the same fluence have reached the cavity in each case. A comprehensive study was performed to assess the effect of the temporal distance between pulses and bursts on the cavity depth and morphology, ablation efficiency and recast layer height.The laser parameters that provide the best results in terms of minimum redeposited material and maximum ablation efficiency have been obtained.

Are Past and Future Selves Perceived Differently from Present Self? Replication and Extension of Pronin and Ross (2006) Temporal Differences in Trait Self-Ascription

We attempted a pre-registered replication and extension of Studies 1, 2, and 3 from Pronin and Ross (2006) regarding the effects of social and temporal distance on trait attributions with an online American Amazon MTurk sample (<em>N</em> = 911). We concluded mixed findings. We found support for the original findings: participants attributed more dispositional traits to others compared to themselves, although with weaker effects (original: <em>f</em> = 0.35, 95% CI [0.09, 0.61]; replication: <em>f</em> = 0.10, 95% CI [0.03, 0.16]). Also, similar to the original, we found that participants tended to attribute a favorable ratio of positive traits when making self-assessments (original: <em>f</em> = 0.77, 95% CI [0.29, 1.25]; replication: <em>f</em> = 0.88, 95% CI [0.50, 1.26]). However, unlike the original, we failed to find support for the core hypothesis that participants would ascribe more dispositional traits to their temporally distant self compared to their present self (original: <em>f</em> = 0.54, 95% CI [0.27, 0.77]; replication: <em>f</em> = 0.02, 95% CI [0.00, 0.06]). Furthermore, in contrast to the original, we found that the positive traits ratio increases with temporal distance (original: <em>f</em> = 0.16, 95% CI [0.00, 0.36]; replication: <em>f</em> = 0.33, 95% CI [0.22, 0.42] in the opposite direction). Contrary to our hypothesis, in an extension, we found that people were more likely to ascribe a greater ratio of positive traits to their friends than to themselves (<em>ξ</em> = 0.3, 95% CI [0.21, 0.38]). All materials, data, and code are provided here: <a href="https://osf.io/gs2rx/" target="_blank">https://osf.io/gs2rx/</a>.

Dynamic Value: Temporal Distance and Group Size of Information in Shaping Social Influence

Individuals often pay attention to recency and source size of reference information when learning from it to aid own decisions. Despite research on the independent effects of temporal distance and group size on social influence of information, we have limited understanding about how recency and group size interact with each other to shape the influence of temporally dispersed information on individual decision making. Using 6.3 million single family listing records in California from 2009 to 2018, I find that in addition to their independent positive effects on social influence, temporal recency and group size are also contingent on each other. The discrepancy in the relative importance of recent information and distant information diminishes as the group size increases. Decision makers focus more on general patterns instead of individual recent information with the extension of time windows. Intercorrelation of information enhanced by temporal structure in large time windows also facilitates selection behaviors when incorporating information. Collectively, social influence forms a U-shape across time windows. These findings highlight the importance of accounting for the temporal structure of information for social influence research and provide new insights into the social dynamics of decision making process.