Time orientation and construal level: effects on eating and exercising behaviour and preferences

Abstract

Eating and exercising behaviour are both characterized by immediate and future consequences. Consequently, consideration of these consequences (i.e. time orientation) predicts eating and exercising behaviour. We investigate whether construal level acts as an underlying mechanism of these relations. Students (N = 101) completed measures of consideration of immediate and future consequences (i.e. CFC‐food and CFC‐exercise), construal level, eating and exercising behaviour and preferences. For self‐reported eating and exercising behaviour, only direct effects of consideration of immediate and future consequences were found. For eating preferences, however, there was evidence of an indirect effect through construal level. A stronger tendency to consider future consequences led to a stronger preference for utilitarian (as compared with hedonic) food products through a more abstract construal level. All in all, construal level partially explains the differential relations between consideration of immediate and future consequences and eating and exercising behaviour and preferences.

Effects of Self-Affirmation Feedback on Exercise Intention of Women in Their Twenties Depending on Construal Level

“…Because participants with high continuation intentions of success place high value on, and enjoy exercise while achieving their goals, their intentions can be seen as those reflecting abstract construal. In empirical studies, abstract construal had a more positive effect on future preferences than did the concrete mind-set condition (Vilches-Montero & Spence, 2015), and the tendency to consider future consequence also increased (van Beek et al., 2017). Therefore, it can be concluded that, because participants who received FSF were induced to low-level construal, their continuation intentions of success reflecting an abstract mind-set decreased more in the posttest than in the pretest.…”

“…In both cases, when importance is attached to a future-oriented goal and the value of exercise, the exercise intention is closer to a high-level construal than a low-level construal. Recent empirical studies have shown that abstract (or high-level) construal had a more positive effect on future preferences than did the concrete mind-set condition (or low-level construal) (Vilches-Montero & Spence, 2015), and as the tendency to consider future consequences became salient at the abstract construal level, preference for utilitarian foods products also increased (van Beek, Handgraaf, & Antonides, 2017). Therefore, participants’ continuation intentions of success can be enhanced more efficiently by providing them with DSF (emphasizing desirability) compared to FSF (emphasizing feasibility).…”

Underscoring flavor or healthiness? The effectiveness of different communication appeals in promoting local food and the moderating role of individual construal

“…This evidence aligns with Construal Level Theory and its grounding notion of psychological distance (e.g., Trope & Liberman, 2010). If the immediate consequences of individuals' choices are mainly associated with a low‐level (concrete) construal (van Beek et al, 2017), then those who attach greater importance to the here‐and‐now are more sensitive to a taste‐related message, as it offers them an immediate reward that heightens their intention to spread positive word‐of‐mouth about the local dish.…”

“…Individual differences in construal level can influence judgments and choices: Those who tend to activate low (vs. high) construal‐level mindsets are more likely to prefer options construed at a low (vs. high) level (Han et al, 2014). Therefore, individuals' construal level might affect the effectiveness of taste‐ versus health‐related marketing communications, as temporally close (vs. distant) choices are likely to be associated with concrete (vs. abstract) construals (van Beek et al, 2017). In other words, communication messages focused on tastiness (vs. healthiness) should be more effective among consumers with a low‐level or concrete (vs. high‐level or abstract) construal.…”

“…(e.g.,Trope & Liberman, 2010). If the immediate consequences of individuals' choices are mainly associated with a low-level (concrete) construal(van Beek et al, 2017), then those who attach greater importance to the here-and-now are more sensitive to a taste-related message, as it offers them an immediate reward that heightens their intention to spread positive word-of-mouth about the local dish.From a theoretical perspective, the present research adds to the scarce literature comparing the effectiveness of different marketing Word-of-mouth intention (a) and purchase intention (b) as a function of message type and construal level. Bars sharing the same letter indicate that the corresponding difference is significant or marginally significant (i.e., a: p = 0.058; b, d: p < 0.01, c: p = 0.107).…”