Do You Think in Tomorrows or Todays?
Do You Think in Tomorrows or Todays?
When it comes to health decisions, some people think long-term, such as imagining how today’s choices affect their future. Others focus on the here and now. Neither is right or wrong. But when it comes to public health messaging, that difference matters. This study explores how matching a message to someone’s time orientation can make the message more persuasive.
What Is Time Orientation?
What Is Time Orientation?
Time orientation refers to whether someone tends to focus on future consequences or immediate outcomes. People who are future-oriented are more likely to take action now to avoid long-term risks. Present-oriented individuals are more influenced by short-term consequences. We wanted to find out if tailoring health messages to these differences could help bridge the gap between awareness and action.
Testing Messages About Sleep and Recycling
Testing Messages About Sleep and Recycling
We ran two experiments with college students. One focused on sleep, the other on recycling. In each study, participants read a message that either emphasized short-term benefits (like waking up more refreshed) or long-term ones (like reducing chronic health risks). We also measured their time orientation to see how future- or present-minded they were.
The Takeaway
The Takeaway
People were more likely to follow health advice when the message’s timeframe matched how they think. Present-minded participants responded better to short-term benefit messages. For future-minded participants, the match mattered less—but they still responded positively. The takeaway? Tailoring messages to people’s time orientation can make public health campaigns more effective.
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