Social Interactivity and Its Impact on a User's Approach Behavior in Commercial Web Sites: A Study Case of Virtual Agent Presence

Abstract

The purpose of the current research is to investigate the impact of social interactivity (the presence of virtual agents in a commercial web site) on the approach behavior. The experimental study was deemed to be the most relevant for collecting data. The study revealed that indeed the presence of virtual agents in a commercial web site has a positive impact on the perceived interactivity which in itself helps increasing the state of flow.