Slowing time, shaping the future: The effect of mindfulness on intertemporal choice
Amy Errmann, Yuri Seo, Felix Septianto, Xing‐Yu Chu
International Journal of Research in Marketing October 1, 2025 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijresmar.2025.10.006 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Mixed methods: field investigations and laboratory experiments Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Mindfulness |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Intertemporal choice Consumer choice Time preference Consumer behaviour Value mathematics Face sociological concept Dynamic inconsistency Field mathematics Loss aversion |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key findings | Mindfulness increases consumer preference for delayed gratification by slowing subjective time and expanding future perspective, making waiting for larger rewards less costly. |
Abstract
• Mindfulness increases consumer preference for delayed gratification. • This effect occurs by slowing subjective time and expanding future perspective. • Mindfulness made consumers more willing to wait but not more reward-sensitive. • Findings inform marketing strategies using mindfulness in intertemporal choice promotions. Consumers frequently face intertemporal choices that require trading off reward value against the delay before the reward is received. This research shows that mindfulness, defined as non-judgmental attention to and awareness of the present moment, increases consumers’ preference for delayed gratification. This occurs because mindfulness slows the subjective passage of time duration, leading consumers to perceive the future as more expansive; in other words, they feel “time-rich.” Consequently, they judge waiting for a larger reward as less costly, which makes the delayed option more attractive. Across six studies—two field investigations and four laboratory experiments, three of which used consequential behavioral measures—we provide convergent evidence for this effect and its underlying mechanism. The findings have practical implications both for consumers navigating trade-offs between immediate and delayed outcomes and for marketers designing more effective intertemporal incentives.