TY - JOUR
AU - Jiao, Jinfeng (Jenny)
AB - This paper aims to examine whether reflecting on the time invested, rather than the money spent, in attempting a goal can enhance consumers’ self-determination, encourage persistence and continue to motivate them through multiple attempts.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conduct three studies: two with Prolific participants and one with college students. Study 1 examines how focusing on time, relative to money, encourages goal persistence by indirectly strengthening self-determination. Study 2 investigates whether failing twice, instead of once, weakens the time/money difference observed in Study 1. Study 3 explores whether the time/money difference extends to emotional responses, such as the unhappiness typically felt by students after failing a test.FindingsMediation tests in Studies 1 and 2 show that focusing on time, rather than money, strengthens self-determination and goal persistence after one failure. However, two successive failures, instead of one, significantly weakens self-determination and persistence when the focus is on money, though not when time is emphasized. Moderation tests in Study 3 show that the expected time/money difference in reducing the unhappiness of failing a mandatory English test diminishes after two failures.Originality/valueTheoretically, this research highlights self-determination as a key mediator in the relationship between time/money focus and goal persistence. Managerially, the findings suggest that DIY marketers can benefit from framing their communications around self-determination to maintain task engagement when consumers are at risk of abandoning their goals.
TI - Trying but failing: the role of time and money in enhancing self-determination, increasing goal persistence, and reducing unhappiness
JO - Journal of Consumer Marketing
DO - 10.1108/jcm-05-2023-6026
DA - 2025-06-24
UR - https://www.deepdyve.com/lp/emerald-publishing/trying-but-failing-the-role-of-time-and-money-in-enhancing-self-bFFqCzGYN6
SP - 689
EP - 701
VL - 42
IS - 5
DP - DeepDyve
ER -