Making Time Matter: A Review of Research on Time and Meaning

Rudd, Melanie, Catapano, Rhia and Aaker, Jennifer "Making Time Matter: A Review of Research on Time and Meaning," Journal of Consumer Psychology, Forthcoming

61 Pages Posted: 3 Jan 2019

See all articles by Melanie Rudd

Melanie Rudd

University of Houston - C.T. Bauer College of Business

Rhiannon Catapano

Stanford University

Jennifer Aaker

Stanford University - Graduate School of Business

Date Written: December 16, 2018

Abstract

In this conceptual paper, we review three decades of research on time and meaning in consumer research and psychology to identify key themes that have emerged, build frameworks that integrate past research, and reveal areas of potential for future empirical exploration. We begin by carving out a conceptual understanding of meaning in life and identifying time as a key lens through which the pursuit of meaning can be viewed. We then review extant research on how to spend and construe time in ways that enhance meaning, relying on two frameworks — one anchored in three dimensions of meaning (purpose, mattering, and comprehension) and the other in three levels of time (momentary, day-to-day, and lifetime). We conclude by outlining several directions for future research focused on deepening our understanding of how consumers can think about and use their time in ways that boost their sense of meaning in life.

Keywords: meaning, time, well-being

Suggested Citation

Rudd, Melanie and Catapano, Rhiannon and Aaker, Jennifer Lynn, Making Time Matter: A Review of Research on Time and Meaning (December 16, 2018). Rudd, Melanie, Catapano, Rhia and Aaker, Jennifer "Making Time Matter: A Review of Research on Time and Meaning," Journal of Consumer Psychology, Forthcoming, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3302891

Melanie Rudd (Contact Author)

University of Houston - C.T. Bauer College of Business ( email )

Houston, TX 77204-6021
United States

Rhiannon Catapano

Stanford University ( email )

Stanford, CA 94305
United States

Jennifer Lynn Aaker

Stanford University - Graduate School of Business ( email )

655 Knight Way
Stanford, CA 94305-5015
United States

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