ABSTRACT

Social network sites are used by consumers to search for information before making purchase decisions. While most research has investigated what motivates consumers to share their experiences with others and its effect on consumer behavior, the current study focuses on consumer active information search (AIS), that is, explicit consumer requests for information on SNS. This study integrates information credibility with a modified and customized UTAUT2 (Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of technology2) to explain the consumer use of SNS for active information search. Data were collected using a representative sample of 729 Facebook users and was analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM).

The results provide support for the extended UTAUT2 model and confirm its robustness in predicting consumer intention to adopt SNS as a vehicle for AIS. Moreover, the research emphasizes the centrality of information credibility and its dyadic role as an antecedent and a moderator in the adoption process.

摘要

消费者使用社交网站在做出购买决定之前搜索信息。虽然大多数研究都调查了消费者与他人分享体验的动机及其对消费者行为的影响，但目前的研究侧重于消费者主动信息搜索 (AIS)，即消费者对 SNS 信息的明确请求。本研究将信息可信度与修改和定制的 UTAUT2（接受和使用技术的统一理论 2）相结合，以解释消费者使用 SNS 进行主动信息搜索。使用 729 名 Facebook 用户的代表性样本收集数据，并使用结构方程模型 (SEM) 进行分析。

结果为扩展的 UTAUT2 模型提供了支持，并证实了其在预测消费者采用 SNS 作为 AIS 工具的意愿方面的稳健性。此外，该研究强调了信息可信度的中心地位及其在采用过程中作为前因和调节器的双重作用。