The Moderating Role of Age in the Mechanism of the Impact of Social Presence on Purchase Intention in Live-Streaming Shopping

Abstract

This study explores the different impacts of cognitive and affective social presence on purchase intention in live-streaming shopping for two age groups. Two hundred and four middle-aged and older adults (age: 55–76) and 228 younger adults (age: 18–31, mostly comprised of college students) completed surveys on cognitive social presence, affective social presence, perceived trust, perceived usefulness, and purchase intention. The findings uncover the mediating effects of perceived trust and perceived usefulness in the impacts of cognitive and affective social presence on purchase intention, indicating variations in the influencing relationships between the two age groups. Affective social presence was more important for middle-aged and older adults, with a stronger mediation effect and a significant direct effect. On the other hand, cognitive social presence was more important for younger adults, with stronger meditation effects, stronger total effect, and a stronger direct effect. The results suggest that affective experience plays a more important role in live-streaming shopping for middle-aged and older adults, while information comprehension is more crucial for younger adults. These findings highlight the importance of tailoring live-streaming shopping experiences to meet the needs of different age groups.