Temporal landmarks help to change eating habits: the case of home delivered meals in Poland

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Authors
Sojka, Grzegorz
Mackiewicz, Robert
Falkowski, Andrzej
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Date
2025-08-22
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Current Psychology
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ISSN
1046-1310
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https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12144-025-08301-0
Access date
2025-08-22
Abstract PL
Abstract EN
Temporal landmarks - such as the beginning of a week or a month - may help individuals overcome present bias and promote delayed gratification in health-related decision-making. Drawing on the concept of negative discounting, wherein delayed consumption gains value through anticipation and imagination, this study investigates whether temporal landmarks function as psychological anchors that facilitate the initiation of real-life dietary change. We analyzed nearly one million orders from 27 diet catering companies in Poland (2022–2023), supplemented by detailed monthly data from August 2024. The results reveal that consumers systematically align the initiation of dietary changes with temporal landmarks. As confirmed by the yearly data analysis, they tend to place orders just before or just after the start of a new month or week. Additionally, there was a strong preference for Monday as the first delivery day, regardless of the length of the catering plan. These findings provide large-scale behavioral evidence supporting the role of negative discounting in health-related consumer behavior. They also demonstrate how temporal landmarks can be strategically leveraged to encourage long-term dietary change. The study offers practical insights for designing interventions that align with natural temporal rhythms to promote healthier eating habits.
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Keywords PL
Keywords EN
Temporal landmarks
Fresh start effect
Negative discounting
Mental imagery
Dietary choices
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https://share.swps.edu.pl/handle/swps/1704
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cc-by-nc-nd
Except as otherwise noted, this item is licensed under the Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives licence | Permitted use of copyrighted works
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Temporal landmarks help to change eating habits: the case of home delivered meals in Poland
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