Durations Over Dates
A deadline expressed as a duration feels sooner than the same deadline as a date.
What it is
A gap of time can be described as a countdown or as a calendar date. "Ends in 3 days" feels imminent; "Ends 27 September" feels abstract. The reverse applies to benefits: "results in 30 days" feels quicker than "results by 24 October". Choose the format that makes the decision feel timely.
The research
Participants judged future events described as durations to be nearer, and acted on them sooner, than the same events described as calendar dates.
Kolenda, drawing on temporal framing research by LeBoeuf, 2006
How to use it
Count down offers
"3 days left" on the page, not "until Friday".
Promise outcomes in durations
"First leads within 14 days" is a promise people feel.
Related
Sources that shaped this entry: Kolenda.io.