How perceived future risk shapes consumer decision responses: a systematic review and research agenda

Abstract In an era of long-term uncertainty, consumers often decide before risks materialize. Yet research on perceived future risk remains fragmented, particularly in explaining how temporally distant and uncertain harms become actionable. This framework-based systematic review synthesizes 41 empirical studies published between 1999 and 2024 to clarify how perceived future risk is defined, operationalized, and linked to consumer decision responses. The review identifies three defining dimensions—temporal projection, perceived uncertainty, and anticipated negative consequences—and classifies 33 extracted consumer decision responses into four categories: (1) market, service, and economic choices; (2) disclosure, help-seeking, and information-sharing decisions; (3) protective, adaptive, and life-planning responses; and (4) civic, policy, and participatory support. It further identifies three recurring mechanism pathways: emotional-attitudinal, cognitive-capability, and context-interactive. Because no single theory adequately captures these pathways, the review proposes an integrated Theory of Planned Behavior–Expectancy Theory–Social Influence Theory framework and develops a structured research agenda.