2024/12/31 by Xionghui Leng, Zhou Xiaoyu, Qin Jiaming +2 · 1 voice
Computer Science · Psychology · Social Sciences · #Action Observation and Synchronization #Psychology of Social Influence #Virtual Reality Applications and Impacts
paper · pdf · doi:10.1007/s10055-024-01092-y
openalex publication_date 2024/12/31 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/23
The emergence of Virtual Reality (VR) technology offers a novel approach to enhancing consumers’ shopping experiences. It not only enables more detailed product presentations but also allows consumers to meet their shopping needs in a highly immersive environment. In this process, consumers’ tactile experiences with products play a crucial role. This article focuses on the virtual touch process of consumers in VR shopping contexts. Drawing upon the body model hypothesis, peri-personal space theory, and embodied cognition theory, and leveraging research methods from psychology, including field experiments, laboratory experiments, and online experiments, the article explores through three investigations how consumers’ virtual touch via a virtual hand in VR impacts their sense of body ownership, haptic imagery, and product evaluation. It is suggested that virtual hand touch in VR scenarios positively impacts consumers’ product evaluation. The sense of body ownership and haptic imagery serve as chain-mediating factors in this process. Furthermore, consumers’ autonomy in virtual hand manipulation emerges as a moderating role, where a heightened sense of autonomy enhances their product evaluation. Virtual touch facilitated by VR technology can not only significantly enrich consumers’ haptic experience, but also provide valuable management insights for retailers to develop innovative VR marketing strategies.