Abstract: Intertemporal choice is a problem-solving process in which people make trade-offs between the outcomes of profits and losses at different points in the future. This study explore the influence of taste perception on intertemporal choice preferences. Though two experiments, this study found that: (1) taste perceptions can affect consumers’ intertemporal choice, sweet taste induce participants prefer the SSR option, while peppermint taste induce participants prefer LLR option; (2) trait self-control can be influenced by taste perceptions, a savour lump sugar or peppermint piece in mouth reduced participants’ self-control scale(SCR) score; (3) trait self-control impact intertemporal choice, participants with low SCR score prefer SSR potion more than high SCR score participants; (4)trait self-control plays a regulatory role in the relationship between taste perception and intertemporal choice, taste perception have no impact on intertemporal choice within high self-control participants, while low self-control participants are significantly affected by taste perceptions.

Key words: sensory marketing, taste perception, intertemporal choice, embodied cognition, trait self-control