Journal of Consumer Research 2026
The Final Countdown: Temporal Frames of Environmental Threats
Abstract
Scientists, NGOs, companies, and the press typically communicate temporal predictions about environmental threats in terms of the calendar date by which the threat is expected to occur (e.g., “Water shortage in the UK by 2040”). However, across eight online studies and a field experiment, we find that referring instead to the amount of time left until the threat (e.g., “Water shortage in the UK within 20 years”) makes the threat feel temporally closer. Consequently, using time-left frames increases consumer engagement with environmental issues and support for pro-environmental causes. This effect arises because time-left framing makes individuals feel as though time is counting down toward the threat.
- DOI
- 10.1093/jcr/ucag018
- Sources
- openalex