Psychological time is one of the most important dimensions for underst
anding human behaviour. Short durations, in particular, have a special
role in everyday life and their perception is a factor which explains
important aspects of behaviour. These arguments are demonstrated in t
his article via one of the most important domains of modem life: consu
mer behaviour. Based on the extant literature, a conceptual framework
is developed and then applied to show how time is linked to consumer b
ehaviour in various ways. It is argued that temporal behaviour is a pr
oduct of dynamic interactions among personality, situational, cognitiv
e and social determinants. An agenda for future research is also prese
nted.