Consumer flexibility and the effectiveness of limited time offers: the role of psychological reactance
研究发现，当限时优惠限制消费者在购买时间、店铺布局、退货政策或个人时间上的灵活性时，其对产品评价的正面效果会减弱甚至转为负面，而心理抗拒是这一负面效应的驱动因素。
• The positive effect of limited time offers on product evaluation is attenuated or reversed into a negative effect when consumer flexibility is restricted by reduced purchase timing flexibility, store layout flexibility, return policy flexibility, and personal time flexibility. • Psychological reactance to restrictions drives the negative effect of limited time offers on product evaluation. • The negative effect of limited time offers on product evaluation can be reversed into a positive effect by including a statement in the offer that highlights future regret if the offer is missed. Retailers, e-commerce platforms, and television shopping channels often advertise limited time offers. Past research indicates that limited time offers generally increase product evaluation by prompting consumers to make inferences of product value. We show across eight studies that the positive effect of limited time offers is attenuated or reversed into a negative effect when consumer flexibility is restricted by lower purchase timing flexibility, store layout flexibility, return policy flexibility, and personal time flexibility. We also show that psychological reactance to restrictions drives the negative effect of limited time offers on product evaluation. Finally, we show that the negative effect of limited time offers on product evaluation can be reversed back into a positive effect by including a statement that highlights future regret if the offer is missed.