The Interplay of Regulatory Focus and Temporal Distance on Consumer Evaluation of Online Reviews

The researchers investigated how the temporal distance of purchase (i.e., near or distant future) affects consumers’ attitude and behavioral intention contingent upon regulatory-focused online reviews (i.e., prevention- or promotion-focused). A content analysis (n = 912 online reviews of athletic shoes), pretest (n = 104), and a main experiment (n = 219) were conducted to examine consumer responses toward online reviews of shoes. The researchers found that when the consumption is planned for the near future, prevention-focused online reviews yield more favorable review attitude and purchase intention than promotion-focused online reviews. However, there were no significant differences in review attitude and purchase intention between the regulatory-focused online review types when the purchase was planned for the distant future. The findings of this study suggest practical guidelines for marketing practitioners in the footwear industry by suggesting an alternative way to manage online reviews based on regulatory fit between review types and consumption time frames