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Understanding how changes within service experiences impact prospective vs. retrospective time judgments

Understanding how changes within service experiences impact prospective vs. retrospective time... Through six studies set in a range of service contexts, we show that consumers perceive the passage of wait time through intrinsic changes in the service experience. Changes, either in service progress speed or in activities within service experiences, consistently influence the perception of wait time. Further, the effects of change on time perception depend on whether the judgment is made prospectively or retrospectively. Results relating to change in progress speeds (Studies 1–3) demonstrate that faster progress during the start of an event shortens prospective time judgments; conversely, quicker progress at the end of a service experience shortens retrospective time judgments. We also demonstrate that prospective time judgments decrease, and retrospective judgments increase, when there is greater change in activities during the service experience (Studies 4–5). Extending this line of inquiry, we explore how within-experience activity change—in terms of the number of segments and how similar the segment activities are—impact retrospective time judgments (Study 6). Taken together, our findings therefore suggest a means (by managing changes in speed or activity within a service experience) of prolonging or quickening time perceptions that can be applied to service contexts to manage consumers’ wait time judgments. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science Springer Journals

Understanding how changes within service experiences impact prospective vs. retrospective time judgments

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References (42)

Publisher
Springer Journals
Copyright
Copyright © 2014 by Academy of Marketing Science
Subject
Business and Management; Business and Management, general; Marketing; Social Sciences, general
ISSN
0092-0703
eISSN
1552-7824
DOI
10.1007/s11747-014-0415-4
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Through six studies set in a range of service contexts, we show that consumers perceive the passage of wait time through intrinsic changes in the service experience. Changes, either in service progress speed or in activities within service experiences, consistently influence the perception of wait time. Further, the effects of change on time perception depend on whether the judgment is made prospectively or retrospectively. Results relating to change in progress speeds (Studies 1–3) demonstrate that faster progress during the start of an event shortens prospective time judgments; conversely, quicker progress at the end of a service experience shortens retrospective time judgments. We also demonstrate that prospective time judgments decrease, and retrospective judgments increase, when there is greater change in activities during the service experience (Studies 4–5). Extending this line of inquiry, we explore how within-experience activity change—in terms of the number of segments and how similar the segment activities are—impact retrospective time judgments (Study 6). Taken together, our findings therefore suggest a means (by managing changes in speed or activity within a service experience) of prolonging or quickening time perceptions that can be applied to service contexts to manage consumers’ wait time judgments.

Journal

Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science – Springer Journals

Published: Nov 1, 2014

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