The Best of Times is Now

Abstract

Although researchers have found that cognitive temporal structures differ across cultures, few have studied the cognitive temporal structures of subcultures within them — and in a consumer behavior context. Integrating the literature on time, culture and consumer behavior, this study empirically tests for variations in time perceptions between the dominant heterosexual culture and the gay subculture. Results indicate that there may be socio-cultural elements of a subculture that produce variation in a subculture's temporal cognitive structure. Compared to heterosexuals, gays are more present-oriented. This finding is then applied to predict differences in consumer behavior.