The conflicting effects of self-construal on impulsive buying tendency toward unhealthy food: the moderating role of future time perspective

Abstract

This study extends the understanding of if and how consumer impulse buying tendency toward unhealthy food can be explained by the conflicting and interactive mechanisms of individual differences in self-construal and future time perspectives. Based on a survey sample of 439 Vietnamese consumers, this study adopts a structural equation modelling approach for second-order constructs and moderating effects to test hypotheses. The study confirms that interdependent and independent selfconstrual are structured as second-order individual constructs, and that interdependent self-construal has a negative impact, while an independent self-construal positively affects impulse buying tendency toward unhealthy food. In particular, besides having a direct negative effect on this tendency, future time perspectives have opposite moderating effects on these relationships.

Time perspective and eating behaviour of young adults: how important is a healthy future compared to the present?

“…Findings show that present-oriented individuals tend to have less healthy dietary habits (Piko and Brassai, 2009;Tuu et al, 2022). This category tends to show less dietary control (Piko and Brassai, 2009) and a greater impulse buying tendency towards unhealthy food (Tuu et al, 2022).…”

“…Summary of the gap in the existing literature that the current paper aims to address While several studies have brought renewed attention to the importance of considering time orientation in food choices and decisions, prior investigations have largely focused on time perspective and dietary habits with implications for long-term health behaviours (T ortora and Ares, 2018;Rojas-Rivas et al, 2020;Tuu et al, 2022). In addition, few studies have examined the influence of time orientation on overall dietary habits.…”

“…Findings show that present-oriented individuals tend to have less healthy dietary habits (Piko and Brassai, 2009;Tuu et al, 2022). This category tends to show less dietary control (Piko and Brassai, 2009) and a greater impulse buying tendency towards unhealthy food (Tuu et al, 2022). Present-oriented people are more likely to consume foods that are high in energy, sugar, salt and fat and less likely to consume fruits, vegetables and whole grains (Daniel et al, 2013a;Daniel et al, 2013b;De Marchi et al, 2016;Byrd and Almanza, 2021).…”

“…Findings show that present-oriented individuals tend to have less healthy dietary habits (Piko and Brassai, 2009; Tuu et al. , 2022).…”

“…While several studies have brought renewed attention to the importance of considering time orientation in food choices and decisions, prior investigations have largely focused on time perspective and dietary habits with implications for long-term health behaviours (Tórtora and Ares, 2018; Rojas-Rivas et al. , 2020; Tuu et al. , 2022).…”