Can Time Heal Negative Reviews? the Impact of Temporal Proximity Cues in Constructive Negative Reviews on Consumers' Hotel Booking Intentions

Online reviews are crucial references for consumers when booking hotels. However, existing research focuses on the detrimental impacts of negative reviews, with little exploration of how the temporal attributes of constructive negative reviews can create positive value. Based on construal level theory, expectancy theory, and attribution theory, this study conducts three experiments to examine the impact of temporal proximity cues in constructive negative reviews on consumers' booking intentions. It also tests the mediating role of recovery expectancy and the moderating role of response strategies. The results show that constructive negative reviews with far (vs. near) temporal cues are more effective in boosting booking intentions through recovery expectancy. Response strategies alter this influence: accommodative responses enhance the positive effect of far temporal cues, while defensive responses counteract it. This study reveals the positive transformation mechanism of review temporal cues, offering theoretical and practical implications for hotel online review management.