Can visual language convey tactile experience? A study of the tactile compensation effect of visual language for online products
IntroductionThere is a common phenomenon of tactile missing in online retail. How to realize consumer tactile compensation is a consensus problem in the field of e-commerce. More and more marketeers and scholars convey their ideas via visual display, but few researches have focused on the tactile co...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1034872/full |
| _version_ | 1798004806298632192 |
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| author | Xionghui Leng Xiaoyu Zhou Shuting Wang Yibin Xiang |
| author_facet | Xionghui Leng Xiaoyu Zhou Shuting Wang Yibin Xiang |
| author_sort | Xionghui Leng |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionThere is a common phenomenon of tactile missing in online retail. How to realize consumer tactile compensation is a consensus problem in the field of e-commerce. More and more marketeers and scholars convey their ideas via visual display, but few researches have focused on the tactile compensatory effect of visual language.MethodsStudy 1 collected data from nearly 13,000 online purchases to analyze the impact of haptic cues on sales in real online shopping platforms; Study 2 used a experimental research method to design three experimental groups: hand haptic cue group vs. Object haptic cue group vs. control group (N = 165) to investigate whether the main effect of haptic cues and the dual mediating effect of mental simulation held. Study 3 also adopted a simulated experimental research approach to design a two-factor group: 2 (haptic cue: hand vs. object) × 2 (product type: tactile functional product vs. tactile experiential product) (N = 198). To further explore whether the moderating effect of product type holds based on Study 2.ResultsTherefore, based on the visualization theory and mental simulation theory, and through a second-hand data experiment and two simulated experiments, this study confirmed that visual language did have a compensation effect on tactile missing specifically. Haptic cues in metaphorical visual language can actively compensate for consumers’ tactile loss, thus affecting the purchase intention. Mental simulation plays a mediating role in the tactile compensation effect. Product type has a moderating effect, and the use of hand (object) haptic cues in metaphorical visual language in tactile functional products (tactile experiential products) can lead to a more active purchase intention.DiscussionThis study not only enriches the theoretical research on the tactile compensation effect of visual language, but also provides valuable management enlightenment for e-commerce enterprises to improve the effectiveness of online product display and online sensory marketing strategies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T12:29:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-848dd805373e4a51a6874bc2b8f47f24 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T12:29:12Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-848dd805373e4a51a6874bc2b8f47f242022-12-22T04:23:49ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782022-12-011310.3389/fpsyg.2022.10348721034872Can visual language convey tactile experience? A study of the tactile compensation effect of visual language for online productsXionghui Leng0Xiaoyu Zhou1Shuting Wang2Yibin Xiang3School of Economics and Management, East China Jiaotong University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, ChinaSchool of Economics and Management, East China Jiaotong University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, ChinaJiangxi Academy of Social Sciences, Nanchang, Jiangxi, ChinaSchool of Economics and Management, East China Jiaotong University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, ChinaIntroductionThere is a common phenomenon of tactile missing in online retail. How to realize consumer tactile compensation is a consensus problem in the field of e-commerce. More and more marketeers and scholars convey their ideas via visual display, but few researches have focused on the tactile compensatory effect of visual language.MethodsStudy 1 collected data from nearly 13,000 online purchases to analyze the impact of haptic cues on sales in real online shopping platforms; Study 2 used a experimental research method to design three experimental groups: hand haptic cue group vs. Object haptic cue group vs. control group (N = 165) to investigate whether the main effect of haptic cues and the dual mediating effect of mental simulation held. Study 3 also adopted a simulated experimental research approach to design a two-factor group: 2 (haptic cue: hand vs. object) × 2 (product type: tactile functional product vs. tactile experiential product) (N = 198). To further explore whether the moderating effect of product type holds based on Study 2.ResultsTherefore, based on the visualization theory and mental simulation theory, and through a second-hand data experiment and two simulated experiments, this study confirmed that visual language did have a compensation effect on tactile missing specifically. Haptic cues in metaphorical visual language can actively compensate for consumers’ tactile loss, thus affecting the purchase intention. Mental simulation plays a mediating role in the tactile compensation effect. Product type has a moderating effect, and the use of hand (object) haptic cues in metaphorical visual language in tactile functional products (tactile experiential products) can lead to a more active purchase intention.DiscussionThis study not only enriches the theoretical research on the tactile compensation effect of visual language, but also provides valuable management enlightenment for e-commerce enterprises to improve the effectiveness of online product display and online sensory marketing strategies.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1034872/fullvisual languagetactile compensationvisual metaphoronline product displaymental simulationhaptic cues |
| spellingShingle | Xionghui Leng Xiaoyu Zhou Shuting Wang Yibin Xiang Can visual language convey tactile experience? A study of the tactile compensation effect of visual language for online products Frontiers in Psychology visual language tactile compensation visual metaphor online product display mental simulation haptic cues |
| title | Can visual language convey tactile experience? A study of the tactile compensation effect of visual language for online products |
| title_full | Can visual language convey tactile experience? A study of the tactile compensation effect of visual language for online products |
| title_fullStr | Can visual language convey tactile experience? A study of the tactile compensation effect of visual language for online products |
| title_full_unstemmed | Can visual language convey tactile experience? A study of the tactile compensation effect of visual language for online products |
| title_short | Can visual language convey tactile experience? A study of the tactile compensation effect of visual language for online products |
| title_sort | can visual language convey tactile experience a study of the tactile compensation effect of visual language for online products |
| topic | visual language tactile compensation visual metaphor online product display mental simulation haptic cues |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1034872/full |
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