Attention to linguistic expression in reminder messages! The impact of temporal metaphors on tourism pre-sale product verification behavior

This study examines the impact of the linguistic framing of reminder messages on consumers’ verification behavior in the pre-sale context of tourism products. Based on speech act theory, this study develops a model proposing that temporal metaphors—namely, event-moving versus ego-moving metaphors—affect verification behavior through downward anticipated regret. One single-factor and one two-factor between-subjects online scenario experiment reveal that event-moving metaphors significantly enhance verification behavior compared to ego-moving metaphors, with downward anticipated regret serving as a mediating mechanism. Moreover, compared to those holding a cyclical temporal perspective, consumers with a linear time perspective exhibit a stronger effect, indicating that time perspective moderates the relationship between temporal metaphors and verification behavior. These findings enrich our understanding of the cognitive mechanisms underlying consumer decision-making in tourism pre-sales and provide practical insights for optimizing marketing communications and pre-sale promotion strategies in the tourism industry.