Assessing the Applicability and Reliability of the SOR Theory in the Healthcare Sector: A Comprehensive Review of Recent Research

Abstract

The Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) theory, introduced by Mehrabian and Russell in 1974, has become a dominant theoretical model in the service industry to determine consumer behaviour. However, systematic reviews and meta-analyses of the theory are rare, and most research produces only empirical data. This research paper aims to compile and analyse research articles that have applied the SOR theory within the healthcare sector over the past five years to measure the model's effect and relevancy. The paper establishes a consistent method of compiling past papers from online databases, and only research papers cited under the SOR theory in the healthcare sector are analysed. The study finds that the SOR model is commonly used alongside other theories, such as Flow Theory and Theory of Reasoned Actions, and can be deemed generalizable to the service industry regardless of the industry. However, the paper has limitations, such as the overgeneralization of the collection of SOR papers without a specific scope, and future research could improve the results by carrying out a meta-analysis to further determine the overall model's reliability.