The influence of the compromise and travel temporal construal heuristics on a purchase decision

Abstract

This study empirically investigated the effects of temporal construal upon the compromise effect; the extent to which the importance of price and quality attributes to selecting a compromised option changed over time; and the malleability of the influence of the temporal construal heuristic by changing the time parameters. Three hundred and ninety-four questionnaires were used for further data analysis. The study's results suggested that the compromise effect was present in the tourism context, but with weakened effectiveness when the time frame in which the purchase can be used was moved back. The importance of price and quality was different between those groups who selected each of three options. The importance of price level in selecting a middle option was not different in terms of temporal construal, but the quality level was a more important consideration in selecting a middle option for future use than for use today.