Leng Xionghui, Zhou Xiaoyu, Wang Shuting, Xiang Yibin
School of Economics and Management, East China Jiaotong University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.
Jiangxi Academy of Social Sciences, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.
Front Psychol. 2022 Dec 19;13:1034872. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1034872. eCollection 2022.
There is a common phenomenon of tactile missing in online retail. How to realize consumer tactile compensation is a consensus problem in the field of e-commerce. More and more marketeers and scholars convey their ideas via visual display, but few researches have focused on the tactile compensatory effect of visual language.
Study 1 collected data from nearly 13,000 online purchases to analyze the impact of haptic cues on sales in real online shopping platforms; Study 2 used a experimental research method to design three experimental groups: hand haptic cue group vs. Object haptic cue group vs. control group ( = 165) to investigate whether the main effect of haptic cues and the dual mediating effect of mental simulation held. Study 3 also adopted a simulated experimental research approach to design a two-factor group: 2 (haptic cue: hand vs. object) × 2 (product type: tactile functional product vs. tactile experiential product) ( = 198). To further explore whether the moderating effect of product type holds based on Study 2.
Therefore, based on the visualization theory and mental simulation theory, and through a second-hand data experiment and two simulated experiments, this study confirmed that visual language did have a compensation effect on tactile missing specifically. Haptic cues in metaphorical visual language can actively compensate for consumers' tactile loss, thus affecting the purchase intention. Mental simulation plays a mediating role in the tactile compensation effect. Product type has a moderating effect, and the use of hand (object) haptic cues in metaphorical visual language in tactile functional products (tactile experiential products) can lead to a more active purchase intention.
This study not only enriches the theoretical research on the tactile compensation effect of visual language, but also provides valuable management enlightenment for e-commerce enterprises to improve the effectiveness of online product display and online sensory marketing strategies.
在线零售中存在一种常见的触觉缺失现象。如何实现消费者的触觉补偿是电子商务领域的一个共识性问题。越来越多的营销人员和学者通过视觉展示来传达他们的想法，但很少有研究关注视觉语言的触觉补偿效果。
研究1从近13000笔在线购买交易中收集数据，以分析触觉线索对真实在线购物平台销售的影响；研究2采用实验研究方法，设计了三个实验组：手部触觉线索组、物体触觉线索组和对照组（ = 165），以研究触觉线索的主效应以及心理模拟的双重中介效应是否成立。研究3也采用模拟实验研究方法，设计了一个双因素组：2（触觉线索：手部与物体）×2（产品类型：触觉功能性产品与触觉体验性产品）（ = 198）。基于研究2进一步探究产品类型的调节效应是否成立。
因此，本研究基于具身认知理论和心理模拟理论，通过二手数据实验和两个模拟实验，证实视觉语言确实对触觉缺失具有特定的补偿作用。隐喻性视觉语言中的触觉线索能够积极补偿消费者的触觉损失，从而影响购买意愿。心理模拟在触觉补偿效应中起中介作用。产品类型具有调节效应，在触觉功能性产品（触觉体验性产品）的隐喻性视觉语言中使用手部（物体）触觉线索能够引发更积极的购买意愿。
本研究不仅丰富了视觉语言触觉补偿效应的理论研究，也为电子商务企业提高在线产品展示效果和在线感官营销策略提供了有价值的管理启示。
