Subjective Importance of Goal and Reactions to Waiting in Line

Abstract

Within a naturally formed waiting line, two groups of participants in Paris, France, were observed in relation to how attractive they considered the goal of the line to be. Time already spent in the queue and physical distance from the goal were two independent and orthogonal variables. When the goal was considered more attractive, judgments were less context-related. Time already spent in the queue and distance from the goal were significant predictors of self-assessed mood only when the goal was considered to be less attractive. This finding was the only instance in which time already spent in the queue was linked to expected waiting time. As predicted by the motivational and attentional properties of goals, time already spent in the queue (sunk cost) was more salient when the goal was less attractive.