Comparing Who We Are to Who We Could Be: How Future Self‐Images Influence Consumer Choices

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper extends an adjacent perspective to social comparison theory: temporal comparison theory, which refers to intraindividual comparison over time (i.e., comparing the present self with past or future selves), and develops this theory in the context of virtual consumer identity. Building on existing literature on social comparison theory, temporal comparison theory, identity theory, and self‐concept theories, and advancements in technology‐driven virtual self‐expression, we propose a preliminary theoretical framework that outlines the mechanisms, processes, and consequences of reflective and predictive temporal comparison and their relationship to social comparison theory. We elucidate how temporal comparison influences consumers' development of self, emotional regulation, pursuit of wellbeing, and associated consumer behavior, particularly in virtual contexts. Insights resulting from our integrated theoretical approach suggest that predictive temporal comparisons serve motivations (e.g., assessing personal growth or decline) that may not be addressed by comparisons with social others. By examining the role of social and temporal comparison in contemporary consumer behavior, particularly in digitally mediated experiences, our study provides deeper understanding of the relationship between comparison and self‐concept. We present implications for researchers, marketers, and society, and suggest research directions to explore temporal and social comparison as complementary theories in understanding the digital consumer.

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