Observational learning (OL) and word-of-mouth learning (WOML), two main types of social learning, can influence online consumer decisions. The consumer decision process is not limited to consumption decisions; it may be viewed as a problem-solving process that includes three stages: search, evaluation, and purchase. To date, the effects and the mechanisms of OL and WOML on the purchase process remain unclear for both researchers and marketers. In this study, we examined the differences between the effects of OL and WOML on consumers’ decisions at three online shopping stages through the theoretical route of motivation reinforcement. This approach revealed the influencing mechanisms, and we further investigated the moderating role of product involvement. We found that WOML has a greater influence on the consumer decision process than OL when consumers purchase high-involvement products, while OL has a greater influence on the consumer decision process than WOML when consumers purchase low-involvement products. Furthermore, OL will reinforce consumers’ extrinsic motivations, while WOML will reinforce consumers’ intrinsic motivations, which are negatively moderated by product involvement and sequentially affect the consumer decision process. This study enhances the theoretical understanding of the effects and mechanisms of social learning on the consumer decision process. Our findings provide meaningful insights for platform managers and sellers on how to effectively assist consumers from the beginning to the end of the purchase process.

观察学习（OL）和口碑学习（WOML）是社会学习的两种主要类型，它们可以影响在线消费者的决策。消费者决策过程不仅限于消费决策；它可能被视为解决问题的过程，包括三个阶段：搜索，评估和购买。迄今为止，对于研究人员和营销人员来说，OL和WOML对购买过程的影响和机理尚不清楚。在这项研究中，我们通过动机强化的理论途径，考察了三个在线购物阶段中OL和WOML对消费者决策的影响之间的差异。这种方法揭示了影响机制，我们进一步研究了产品参与的调节作用。我们发现，当消费者购买高参与度产品时，WOML对消费者的决策过程的影响要比OL大，而当消费者购买低参与度产品时，OLML对消费者的决策过程的影响要大于WOML。此外，OL将增强消费者的外部动机，而WOML将增强消费者的内在动机，这些动机会因产品的参与而受到负面影响，并依次影响消费者的决策过程。这项研究增强了对社会学习对消费者决策过程的影响和机制的理论理解。我们的发现为平台经理和卖家提供了从购买过程的开始到结束如何有效地帮助消费者的有意义的见解。当消费者购买低参与度产品时，OL对消费者决策过程的影响要比WOML更大。此外，OL将增强消费者的外部动机，而WOML将增强消费者的内在动机，这些动机会因产品的参与而受到负面影响，并依次影响消费者的决策过程。这项研究增强了对社会学习对消费者决策过程的影响和机制的理论理解。我们的发现为平台经理和卖家提供了从购买过程的开始到结束如何有效地帮助消费者的有意义的见解。当消费者购买低参与度产品时，OL对消费者决策过程的影响要比WOML更大。此外，OL将增强消费者的外部动机，而WOML将增强消费者的内在动机，这些动机会因产品的参与而受到负面影响，并依次影响消费者的决策过程。这项研究增强了对社会学习对消费者决策过程的影响和机制的理论理解。我们的发现为平台经理和卖家提供了从购买过程的开始到结束如何有效地帮助消费者的有意义的见解。而WOML将加强消费者的内在动机，这些动机会因产品的参与而受到负面影响，并依次影响消费者的决策过程。这项研究增强了对社会学习对消费者决策过程的影响和机制的理论理解。我们的发现为平台经理和卖家提供了从购买过程的开始到结束如何有效地帮助消费者的有意义的见解。而WOML将加强消费者的内在动机，这些动机会因产品的参与而受到负面影响，并依次影响消费者的决策过程。这项研究增强了对社会学习对消费者决策过程的影响和机制的理论理解。我们的发现为平台经理和卖家提供了从购买过程的开始到结束如何有效地帮助消费者的有意义的见解。