What encourages purchase of virtual gifts in live streaming: Cognitive absorption, social experience and technological environment

Zhengzhi Guan, Fangfang Hou, Boying Li, Alain Yee Loong Chong, Chee Wei Phang

Research output: Chapter in Book or Report/Conference proceedingConference Proceedingpeer-review

8 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Live streaming has become extraordinarily popular worldwide. As a new form of social media, live streaming enables two levels of real-time interactions (i.e., between viewers and the streamer, and among viewers) and is monetized in a new way-viewers' purchase of virtual gifts. The new monetization model has achieved a great success, yet there is a lack of understanding about what encourages viewers to purchase virtual gifts in live streaming. To explain such purchase behavior, this study develops a model which investigates the roles of viewers' holistic experience with the system (i.e., cognitive absorption) and their social experiences (i.e., para-social interaction and virtual crowd experience), as well as how these experiences are developed within the technological environment of live streaming (i.e., interactivity, deep profiling and design aesthetics). The model was validated by using survey data collected from China. We also discuss implications for research and practice emerging out of this study.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publication40th International Conference on Information Systems, ICIS 2019
PublisherAssociation for Information Systems
ISBN (Electronic)9780996683197
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2019
Externally publishedYes
Event40th International Conference on Information Systems, ICIS 2019 - Munich, Germany
Duration: 15 Dec 201918 Dec 2019

Publication series

Name40th International Conference on Information Systems, ICIS 2019

Conference

Conference40th International Conference on Information Systems, ICIS 2019
Country/TerritoryGermany
CityMunich
Period15/12/1918/12/19

Keywords

  • Cognitive Absorption
  • Live Streaming
  • Para-Social Interaction
  • Purchase of Virtual Gifts
  • Virtual Crowd Experience

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