The Moderating Role of Perceived Interactivity in the Relationship Between Online Customer Experience and Behavioral Intentions to Use Parenting Apps for Taiwanese Preschool Parents

Abstract

Preschool parents’ attitudes toward the online experience and their behavioral intentions to use parenting apps are influenced by their perceptions of social interactions and their mobile engagement with these apps. There have been few studies of how perceived interactivity affects the customer experience and consumption habits of preschool parents. This paper describes a study focused on preschool parents’ perceptions of the influence of online customer experience on their behavioral intentions to use parenting apps for young children. The study also explored how perceived interactivity moderated this relationship. We used the questionnaire to collect data with the valid sample size comprised 571 anonymous preschool parents. A Chinese questionnaire was developed to examine three factors: “online customer experience,” “perceived interactivity,” and “behavioral intentions to use.” To analyze the survey data, the researchers used partial least squares and tested the internal consistency reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity of the latent constructs in the measurement model. Additionally, the bootstrapping method was used to conduct 5,000 replications to test the statistical significance of perceived interactivity as a moderator. The results indicated that perceived interactivity has a negative moderating effect on the association between online customer experience and a parent’s behavioral intentions to use a parenting app to improve their parenting skills. Preschool parents with positive attitudes toward perceived interactivity showed little preference for gaining online experience via parenting apps. They can use the technical functions of their mobile phones or parenting apps to customize their cognitive experiences and emotions.