Valuing time: Moderate download times can improve online goal pursuit

Anne-Laure Sellier and Amitava Chattopadhyay
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Anne-Laure Sellier: SUNY - State University of New York
Amitava Chattopadhyay: INSEAD - Institut Européen d'administration des Affaires

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Abstract: This research examines how the length of time for which a goal is interrupted affects goal pursuit, in an online context. Goal interruption duration in the form of long download time duration has been identified as a significant impediment to electronic commerce. It is believed that a faster download time is always better to motivate web users to keep surfing. We challenge this belief. In three studies, we find that, under certain circumstances, longer rather than shorter download times motivate web users to keep surfing longer. The counterintuitive pattern of effects can be explained by web users' fit experiences (Higgins, 2000) while surfing. In particular, our findings suggest that when online surfing "feels right", web users think that online information is right.

Keywords: Time perception; Motivation; E-commerce; Information search; Self regulation; Regulatory fit (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009-04
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Published in Journal of Consumer Psychology, 2009, vol. 19, issue 2, p. 236-245. ⟨10.1016/j.jcps.2009.02.014⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-00668719

DOI: 10.1016/j.jcps.2009.02.014

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