The Impact of Atmospheric Cues on Consumers’ Impulse Buying in Live Streaming E-Commerce: The Mediating Role of Emotion
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24191/eaj.v14i2.8813Keywords:
Live streaming e-commerce, Atmospheric cues, Impulse buying behavior, Emotion, SOR theoryAbstract
Since live-streaming e-commerce (LSE) has surged at a remarkable growth pace, impulse purchase has attained increased prominence, while processes underlying the way atmosphere cues trigger such purchase are undertheorized. Following the Stimulus–Organism–Response (S-O-R) framework, this study investigates psychological processes under which atmosphere cues trigger consumers’ impulse purchase via emotion. Extending previous scales, atmosphere cues were operationalized along four dimensions: information cues, navigation cues, design cues, and interactive cues. Data were collected from 215 Chinese live-streaming shop-experienced consumers and processed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to test the research model. Results indicate navigation and interactive cues are direct stimulators of impulse purchase and information and design cues exert significant indirect effects mediated by emotions. Further, interactive cues exert both direct and indirect influenceon impulse purchase and therefore are foregrounded in triggering full-immersion experiences. Finally, emotions are found as a chief psychological mediator between atmosphere stimulus and behavior.The study extends existing literature by validating a comprehensive measurement framework of atmospheric cues in LSE and by clarifying the mediating role of emotions in impulse purchasing. Practically, the findings provide actionable implications for platforms and retailers to strategically design information delivery, navigation simplicity, aesthetic elements, and interactive engagement to foster positive emotions and stimulate purchase decisions.
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