Investigating the influence of online interpersonal interaction on purchase intention based on stimulus-organism-reaction model

Abstract

Based on the stimulus-organism-reaction model, we study the direct effects of the three interpersonal attraction factors (perceived similarity, perceived familiarity, and perceived expertise) on purchase intention in the social commerce era, as well as the mediating roles of the normative and informational influence of reference groups in the above relationship. We apply structural equation model to the study samples consisting of 490 WeChat users. The results of empirical research indicate that the three interpersonal attraction factors have positive effects on purchase intention. Both the normative and informational influence fully mediate the effect of perceived familiarity on purchase intention, but only partially mediate the effects of perceived similarity and perceived expertise on purchase intention. The findings provided practitioners with insights into enhancing users’ intention to purchase in social commerce.