Developing and validating the augmented reality-enabled e-commerce questionnaire (ARECQ): an extended technology acceptance model for Gen Z

Abstract

E-commerce, a rapidly growing multi-billion-dollar industry, is expected to expand further with advancements in Augmented Reality (AR). For companies aiming to leverage AR effectively in the long term, quantitative research using a survey-based questionnaire is a vital method to identify relationships among variables in AR-enabled e-commerce (AREC). The primary contribution of this paper is the development and validation of the AREC questionnaire (ARECQ), which measures AREC and user satisfaction among Gen Z consumers by integrating the Technology Acceptance Model with additional variables tailored to their needs. An initial pool of 474 items was compiled from the literature, excluding duplicates. During quality assessment, 347 items were discarded, and content and face validity eliminated another 68 items, reducing the count to 79. Reliability and validity testing refined the pool to a final set of 63 items. A pilot study was conducted with 231 respondents to establish reliability using Cronbach’s alpha and composite reliability, while construct validity was confirmed through AVE, discriminant validity, and factor loadings. Overall, the results indicate that all metrics are within acceptable thresholds, making the ARECQ a valid tool for assessing AREC adoption and user satisfaction among Gen Z.