The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at

www.emeraldinsight.com/0959-0552.htm

IJRDM
35,6 Hedonic usage of product
virtualization technologies
in online apparel shopping
502
Jiyeon Kim
Department of Retailing, The University of South Carolina,
Columbia, South Carolina, USA, and
Sandra Forsythe
Department of Consumer Affairs, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA

Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this study is to investigate whether online apparel shoppers’ adoption of
product virtualization technologies is facilitated more by hedonic motivations than functional
motivations due to the hedonic nature of the product virtualization technologies.
Design/methodology/approach – In addition to the focus group interview, two separate online
surveys with links to a stimulus web site containing one of the two product virtualization technologies
was conducted to a national online shopper sample. The data were analyzed using structural equation
modeling by comparing the structural coefficients of hedonic and functional motivations on the
attitude toward using the product virtualization technologies. The linear combination of functional
and hedonic roles of each technology was examined using discriminant function analysis to see if the
results were consistent.
Findings – The results showed that the hedonic motivation had a stronger positive relationship than
functional motivations with the attitude toward using product virtualization technologies. The
empirical findings of this study confirm our proposition that perceived entertainment value is a
stronger determinant of attitude toward using product virtualization technologies than perceived
usefulness.
Originality/value – The findings of the paper support the idea that the direction of technology
acceptance model related research should be drawn by the (functional or hedonic) purpose of the
technology/system. Based on the current findings, it seems likely that the predictive importance of
the hedonic or functional benefits on attitude toward using a particular technology/system will
depend, to a large extent, on the primary purpose of the system/technology.
Keywords Internet shopping, Fashion, Consumer behaviour
Paper type Research paper

Introduction
Decisions to shop in traditional and online shopping channels are influenced by both
functional and hedonic motives (Chilers et al., 2001). Functional motives focus on
making a good choice whereas hedonic motives reflect the enjoyment of the shopping
process (Babin et al., 1994). Like brick-and-mortar shopping environments, motivations
to engage in Internet shopping are both functional and hedonic. Consumers with
International Journal of Retail & predominately functional motivations for shopping are primarily concerned with
Distribution Management purchasing products in an efficient and timely manner to achieve their goals with a
Vol. 35 No. 6, 2007
pp. 502-514 minimum of effort. By contrast, consumers with hedonic motivations for shopping are
q Emerald Group Publishing Limited
0959-0552
largely concerned with the entertainment and enjoyment associated with shopping.
DOI 10.1108/09590550710750368 However, most apparel shoppers exhibit both functional and hedonic motivations for
shopping and consider enjoyment of the shopping process as an important contributor Usage of product
to a positive shopping experience. virtualization
Because many apparel shoppers still hesitate to make purchases online and
typically prefer shopping in traditional stores, online retailers are utilizing technologies
product virtualization technologies to enhance the online environment in order to
attract consumers and encourage online purchases. Product virtualization technologies
that allow online shoppers to view the product interactively not only deliver product 503
information but also deliver a more entertaining shopping experience than can be
obtained by static product images. The interactivity and customer involvement created
by product virtualization technologies increases the entertainment value of the online
shopping experience. According to Heijden (2004), the value of a hedonic system (e.g.
product virtualization technologies) is a function of the degree to which the user
experiences fun when using the system. To have a pleasurable experience, individuals
often seek sensations on multiple sensory channels (Holbrook and Hirschman, 1982).
Therefore, the hedonic content (e.g. interactive images) of product virtualization
technologies is important in enhancing online shopping.
Many online retailers, especially in the fashion industry, are beginning to use
product virtualization technologies such as 3D rotation views and Virtual Try-on
(creating a virtual model and trying clothing on it) in an attempt to enhance the
pleasure provided by online shopping experiences. Product virtualization technologies
often include video and/or audio input that allows user interaction. These technologies
provide shoppers with an image they can manipulate, allowing them to zoom in on a
3D product image, rotate it for a 3608 full rotation view, and add to, delete from, or alter
the elements of an image. Industry reports suggest that use of product virtualization
technologies can result in increased time spent on a site and higher surfer-to-buyer
conversion rates (Internetretailer.com, 2003; Mahoney, 2001). However, the provision of
product virtualization technologies will not influence consumers’ online behaviors
unless those shoppers use the technologies provided. Thus, it is important to fully
understand consumers’ attitudes toward using product virtualization technologies
given that online shopping attitudes predict usage behavior.
Through its multimedia features, shopping online provides a different type of
entertainment than traditional shopping. Whereas some online apparel shoppers use
product virtualization technologies primarily for functional purposes, such as
improved visual examination of a product, others use these technologies primarily for
hedonic purposes to enhance their shopping enjoyment by viewing the product from a
number of angles or on a virtual model (Chilers et al., 2001). Clearly, product
virtualization technologies have the potential to provide entertainment in addition to
functional value to online shoppers. We expect that the enhanced shopping
entertainment value provided by product virtualization technologies will fulfill apparel
shoppers’ hedonic shopping motives and significantly influence their attitudes toward
using the product virtualization technologies provided by online retailers. In some
cases, adoption of product virtualization technologies may be influenced even more by
shoppers’ hedonic motivations than by their functional motivations.
In this research, we develop an argument that consumers’ attitudes depend largely
on the functional or hedonic nature of the system/technology. For example, when using
a system that is primarily hedonic in nature designed to provide entertaining
experiences (e.g. product virtualization technologies), consumers’ attitudes will likely
IJRDM be influenced more by hedonic motivations than by functional motivations.
35,6 The purpose of this study is to investigate online apparel shoppers’ attitudes toward
using product virtualization technologies and whether the perceived entertainment
value provided by these technologies has a stronger positive relationship with attitude
toward usage than perceived usefulness. We propose that product virtualization
technologies (3D rotation views and Virtual Try-on) facilitate hedonic motivations
504 stronger than functional motivations. That is, because of the hedonic nature
of the product virtualization technologies, the perceived entertainment value of the
technologies is expected to be a stronger predictor of attitude toward using
the technology than perceived usefulness. To test this prediction, we examine the
functional and hedonic antecedents to attitudes toward using two product
virtualization technologies for online apparel shopping and compare the effects of
each on attitudes toward using the technology.

Theoretical background
The technology acceptance model (TAM), built on the theory of reasoned action (TRA)
(Ajzen and Fishbein, 1980), has been widely used as a tool for investigating and
predicting user acceptance of information technology (Davis, 1989, Davis et al., 1992;
Taylor and Todd, 1995a, b; Money and Turner, 2004). Both TRA and TAM assert that
the influence of external variables upon user behavior is mediated through user beliefs
and attitudes. Beliefs relate to an individual’s subjective assessment that performing
some behavior will result in a specific consequence, whereas attitudes relate to an
individual’s positive or negative affective feelings about performing the behavior. Davis
(1989) identified two key beliefs that accounted for information system usage –
ease-of-use and usefulness. TAM initially focused on functional motives, postulating the
effect of a person’s attitude toward using new job-related technology and the perceived
usage (usefulness and ease-of-use) of the technology on performance in the workplace.
Later research using TAM showed inconsistent results, indicating a weak direct linkage
of ease-of-use with attitude and behavioral intention to use technology.
Since, its original publication, the TAM model has undergone substantial replication,
refinement, and extension. TAM has been applied to explain the technologies under
study regardless of the functional/hedonic nature of the technology/system. Perceived
usefulness focuses on benefits that are external to the system-user interaction,
improving performance and productivity. By contrast, perceived entertainment value
specifies the extent to which fun can be derived from using the system, focusing on
intrinsic motivation. However, much of the research using TAM as a conceptual
framework has focused largely on the functional aspects of technology resulting in
findings that support perceived usefulness as the strongest predictor of user acceptance
across a diverse area of research settings. Similarly, much of the online shopping
research using TAM has focused more on the functional benefits of using the Internet,
often assuming that shopping online is a goal-oriented activity and is more likely to be
motivated by functional benefits (Cheung et al., 2000; Teo et al., 1999). Given that
previous research on traditional retail shopping behavior has confirmed the importance
of intrinsic (hedonic) shopping motivations, the enjoyment construct was added to TAM
(Davis et al., 1992) to explain the hedonic motivations in adoption of online shopping
(Babin et al., 1994; Chilers et al., 2001). Perceived enjoyment is defined as the extent to
which the activity of using the technology is perceived to be enjoyable in its own right,
apart from any performance consequences that may be anticipated (Davis et al., 1992). Usage of product
Despite its importance, the effect of perceived enjoyment has been found to be virtualization
consistently weaker than the effect perceived usefulness in much of the research using
the TAM as a conceptual framework (Davis et al., 1992; Igbaria et al., 1996; Igbaria et al., technologies
1994. These findings may be largely because the research using the TAM as a
conceptual framework has focused primarily on functional systems (e.g. designed to
improve work performance). 505
Chilers et al. (2001) have confirmed that hedonic motives for online shopping are
important predictors of attitudes toward online shopping. Some research has shown
hedonic motivations to have powerful influences on shopping behavior in both
traditional and online shopping environments (Menon and Kahn, 2002). One recent
study showed that fashion and cognitive absorption experiences on the web were more
important than perceived usefulness in explaining online shopping behavior (Shang
et al., 2005). Also, Heijden (2004) found that perceived entertainment value was a
stronger determinant of intentions to visit a movie site than perceived usefulness,
supporting the notion that the hedonic nature of a system is an important construct to
the validity of the TAM. Although hedonic motivations have been found to be an
important motivation to use the Internet for shopping (Orwall, 2001), they have often
been neglected in online shopping research.
Thus, for systems that are hedonic in nature, we can expect hedonic benefits
provided to be the dominant predictor of attitudes toward using the system. Similarly,
for product virtualization technologies that are largely hedonic in nature, we can expect
hedonic benefits to be a strong predictor of attitudes toward using these technologies.
This research shows that attitudes toward using a technology will depend largely on
the (functional or hedonic) nature of that technology.

Instruments and data collection

Focus group interview
A focus group interview was conducted with 11 undergraduate students to gain
insights regarding their attitudes toward usage of the product virtualization
technologies in the apparel shopping process and specifically, to determine how useful
and/or entertaining product virtualization technologies are perceived to be by
consumers when shopping apparel online. First, interviewees were asked to try 3D
rotation views (views from every angle as a consumer drag a mouse) and Virtual
Try-on (by creating a virtual model) for an apparel shopping simulation. Then, the
interviewer led a discussion with respect to their experience with the selected product
virtualization technologies. The results of the focus group interview are discussed with
the quantitative data analysis.

Online survey
Online surveys were developed with multiple items measuring four constructs
(perceived usefulness, perceived entertainment value, attitude, and intention) using
seven-point Likert-type scales ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree).
Two separate surveys were developed – one for each of the product virtualization
technologies (3D rotation views and Virtual Try-on) examined. Each survey contained
the same scale items but used the name of the product virtualization technology
presented on the assigned stimulus web site. An online survey was administered to an
IJRDM online shopper national sample panel that is randomly selected from a pool of
35,6 participants in database purchased from a survey company. The selected members of a
consumer panel received an e-mail containing the online survey link. One of the two
online surveys, containing the link to the stimulus site with each technology, was
randomly assigned to a national sample of online shoppers. Upon clicking the hyperlink
provided in the survey, a stimulus site popup window, containing either 3D rotation
506 views or Virtual Try-on technology, opened up for simulation. After completing the
shopping simulation using the assigned product virtualization technology, participants
completed the survey with respect to their simulated shopping experience.

Sample characteristics
Survey participants were a US national sample of online shopper, 19 and older. We
received 978 valid and complete responses from 3,000 online survey requests, for a
33 percent response rate. About 52 percent of the respondents were male and 48 percent
were female. During the past 6 months, 36 percent had purchased apparel online 1-2 times,
21 percent had purchased apparel online 3-4 times, 18 percent had purchased apparel
online 5 or more times, and 25 percent of the respondents had not purchased apparel online.
For the participants who have purchased online, the total spent on online apparel
purchases during the past 6 months was as follows: 27 percent of the respondents spent a
total of $1-100, 20 percent spent $101-200, 12 percent spent $201-300, 8 percent of spent
$301-400, and 10 percent spent more than $400 on apparel. The majority of the respondents
(84 percent) had previously used 3D rotation views for online apparel shopping and more
than half of the respondents (58 percent) had used Virtual Try-on in the past. These
findings indicated that most respondents were moderate to heavy online apparel shoppers
with experience using the product virtualization technologies under investigation,
suggesting the characteristics of the sample were suitable for this investigation.

Data analysis and results

Reliability and validity
First, the reliability and discriminate validity of the questionnaire were tested through
reliability analysis and Principle Component Analysis. All three constructs’ Cronbach
reliability alphas were greater than 0.8, indicating all measurements are reliable
(Table I). Principal component analysis showed satisfactory discriminant validity
among the three constructs – perceived usefulness, perceived entertainment value, and
attitude- and good internal consistency with Eigenvalues over 1. The results of
Confirmatory Factor Analysis indicated that items were good manifestations of latent
constructs with item factor loadings grater than 0.8 for all items (Table I).

Structural equation modeling (SEM) analyzes and results

Structural equation modeling (SEM) was conducted (Figures 1-3) with perceived
usefulness and perceived entertainment value as exogenous variables and attitude
toward using the product virtualization technology (3D rotation views or Virtual
Try-on) and intention to:
.
use the technology again;
.
revisit the site with these technologies; and
.
purchase apparel using these technologies as endogenous variables.
 Usage of product
Reliability Factor
Constructs a Scale items loadings virtualization
Perceived usefulness 1. *3D/VT improves my online shopping
technologies
of 3D/VT (PU) 0.96 productivity 0.91
2. *3D/VT enhances my effectiveness when
shopping online 0.92 507
3. *3D/VT is helpful in buying what
I want online 0.96
4. *3D/VT improves my online shopping
ability 0.92
Perceived entertainment 5. Shopping with *3D/VT is fun for its
value of 3D/VT (PE) 0.96 own sake 0.92
6. Shopping with *3D/VT is exciting 0.95
7. Shopping with *3D/VT is enjoyable 0.96
8. Shopping with *3D/VT is interesting 0.86
Attitude toward using 9. Using *3D/VT is a good/bad idea
3D/VT (ATT) 0.95 0.90
10. Using *3D/VT is superior/inferior 0.92
11. Using *3D/VT is pleasant/unpleasant 0.84
12. Using *3D/VT is appealing/unappealing 0.87
Intention to purchase, 13. I would be likely to use *3D/VT again for
reuse, and revisit (INT) 0.96 online apparel shopping 0.95
14. I would be likely to visit a site providing
*3D/VT for online apparel shopping 0.98
15. I would be likely to purchase apparel from
a site providing *3D/VT 0.92 Table I.
Construct reliability and
Note: *Two separate surveys contained either 3D or VT item factor loadings

PU
0.34*

0.77*
ATT USE

Figure 1.
0.48* Structural model and
PE coefficients for both 3D
and Virtual Try-on
Note: *Significant at p < 0.001

PU
0.40*

0.83*
ATT USE Figure 2.
Structural model and
0.44* coefficients for 3D rotation
PE view
IJRDM First, SEM for both product virtualization technologies was conducted to see if the
35,6 research proposition was supported in general. Then separate SEM’s for each
technology (3D rotation views and Virtual Try-on) were completed to examine whether
or not the relationship of the perceived usefulness and the entertainment value with
attitude of using these technologies is different for these two technologies.
We assessed overall model fit using incremental goodness-of-fit indexes (e.g. CFI,
508 GFI). Owing to the tendency for x 2 to be sensitive to sample size, the model fit for our
three models was assessed according to Hu and Bentler’s (1999) rule of thumb for the
incremental goodness-of-fit indexes of the model. The results indicate a reasonably
good fit for all three structural models with CFI and GFI values greater than roughly
0.9 (Table II). All structural coefficients achieved statistical significance, strongly
supporting links between perceived usefulness/perceived entertainment value and
attitude as well as attitude and intention as suggested by TAM. A noticeable difference
existed in the relationship between the perceived usefulness and the attitude toward
using Virtual Try-on, which showed relatively weaker practical significance compared
to the 3D rotation view. However, since this structural coefficient (b ¼ 0.25, p , 0.001)
achieved minimum statistical significance with the coefficient close to the threshold
(b . 0.3) suggested by researchers for practical significance, this positive relationship
was still acknowledgeable. The results of our study were in line with previous findings
that the interactive nature of online shopping sites provided by product virtualization
technologies enhanced shoppers’ attitudes toward the online retailer, desire to browse
or revisit the site, and purchasing (Fiore and Jin, 2003; Li et al., 2001).
We then compared the unique contribution of perceived usefulness (PU) and
perceived entertainment value (PE) to determine which variable has a stronger positive

PU
0.25*

0.66*
ATT USE

Figure 3. 0.48*
Structural model and PE
coefficients for Virtual
Try-on
Note: *Significant at p < 0.001

PU ! ATT PE ! ATT ATT ! INT

Standardized Standardized Standardized Incremental model
Structural paths coefficients coefficients coefficients fit indexes

Both (3D and VT) 0.34 * 0.48 * 0.77 * CFI ¼ 0.94

GFI ¼ 0.87
3D rotation view 0.40 * 0.44 * 0.83 * CFI ¼ 0.96
GFI ¼ 0.88
Virtual Try-on 0.25 * 0.48 * 0.66 * CFI ¼ 0.93
Table II. GFI ¼ 0.87
Structural coefficients
and significance Note: * Significant at p , 0.001
relationship with attitude toward using the product virtualization technology. Usage of product
The results showed that both perceived usefulness (b ¼ 0.34, p , 0.001) and perceived virtualization
entertainment value (b ¼ 0.48, p , 0.001) demonstrated significant relationships with
the consumers’ attitude toward using the product virtualization technologies. However, technologies
when comparing the effects of perceived usefulness and perceived entertainment value,
the standardized structural coefficient for perceived entertainment value on attitude is
greater than that for perceived usefulness on attitude (PU: b ¼ 0.34 , PE: b ¼ 0.48), 509
indicating that perceived entertainment value has a stronger positive relationship with
attitude than perceived usefulness (Table II). That is, when the actual value of the
perceived entertainment is increased by 1 standard deviation (SD), the predicted value
of the attitude is increased by 0.48 SD (compared to only 0.34 for perceived usefulness),
indicating a greater unique contribution of perceived entertainment value than the
usefulness on attitude toward using the product virtualization technologies. More
specifically, the relationship between perceived entertainment value and attitude was
much stronger than perceived usefulness for Virtual Try-on (PU: b ¼ 0.25 , PE:
b ¼ 0.48) whereas there was just a slight difference in the relationship between
perceived entertainment value and attitude for 3D rotation views (PU: b ¼ 0.40 , PE:
b ¼ 0.44). Clearly, Virtual Try-on has a greater role as a hedonic system than 3D
rotation views.

Differences in the functional and hedonic roles of product virtualization technologies

In addition to the SEM to compare the structural coefficients to see different unique
contribution of hedonic and functional motivations on the attitude toward using the
product virtualization technologies, we examined the linear combination of functional
and hedonic roles of each technology to see if the results were consistent. That is, if these
product virtualization technologies have greater hedonic role than functional role, the
use of these technologies will be influenced by hedonic motivation stronger than it will
be by functional motivation. Thus, we conducted discriminant function analysis (DFA).
Owing to its nature of taking into account a linear combination of dependent variables,
DFA is more powerful than ANOVA for detecting possible differences between groups
of dependant variables (Meyers et al., 2005). DFA yields uncorrelated linear
combinations of dependant variables that maximize differences between groups,
showing membership of the groups in one or more functions (functional and/or hedonic).
DFA results identified two discriminat functions. The first function represented
functional role of product virtualization technologies with structure matrix coefficients
being high on perceived usefulness (0.794) and low on perceived entertainment value
(0.149). The second function represented hedonic role of product virtualization
technologies with structure matrix coefficients being low on perceived usefulness
(0.068) and high on perceived entertainment value (0.989). Overall, Wilks’ Lambda
showed both functions successfully discriminate technologies at the significance level
of 0.001. Group centroids showed more noticeable differences in two technologies.
Virtual Try-on was noticeably discriminated from 3D rotation view with regard to
functional roles served, showing a low functional role (2 0.478) and a high hedonic role
(0.272). The 3D rotation view served both functional and hedonic roles with a slightly
higher hedonic (0.195) than functional role (0.135) (Table III). The results supported the
SEM results – Virtual Try-on has a greater role as a hedonic system than 3D rotation
views. These analyze helped us to gain insights regarding the each product
IJRDM virtualization technology’s functional and hedonic role, and why the stronger
35,6 relationship existed between the hedonic motivation and the attitude toward using
Virtual Try-on. Therefore, Virtual Try-on can be identified as a hedonic system with
the hedonic role in that influence consumers’ hedonic motivations for using the system.
Our findings are consistent with the focus group interview results that product
virtualization technologies support both functional and hedonic motivations. The
510 comment by one interviewee, “It was very useful to see how the clothing looks on all
around 360 degree” illustrates the positive relationship between perceived usefulness
of product virtualization technologies and attitude. Another interviewee mentioned,
“It was good that I could see the clothing on a form so that I would know how the
clothing would look/fall on a real person” again supporting the role of perceived
usefulness. Interviewees agreed that it was entertaining to create their own models
using the Virtual Try-on technology (demonstrating hedonic value), but most felt the
clothing on the model looked too graphic, not like the real clothing shown in the static
picture so this technology would have limited functional value. They said, “The way
the clothing looks on the model didn’t really help in examining it or how it would look
on me” again indicating the limited functional utility of the technology. Although the
interviewees agreed that both functional and hedonic role of the technologies were
important considerations in using such technologies, they indicated the Virtual Try-on
was more entertaining than functional, supporting the quantitative results that the
perceived entertainment value had a stronger positive relationship than the perceived
usefulness with the attitudes toward using product virtualization technology. Some
interviewees stated, “It’s fun to look at clothing on 3D, moving around the object . . . .I
could see the clothing even from bottom. I had a lot of fun in the process of creating a
virtual model, changing the hairstyle, color. . .I even changed my measurements
making the model look thinner. . .it’s like a doll play, dressing up different clothing.”
These comments illustrated the strong hedonic value of product virtualization
technologies.

Discussion of findings and implications for future study

The empirical findings of this study confirm our proposition that perceived
entertainment value is a stronger determinant of attitude toward using product
virtualization technologies than perceived usefulness and supports the idea that the
hedonic nature of product virtualization technologies is an important boundary
condition to the validity of the TAM. Perceived usefulness lost its dominant predictive
value in favor of entertainment value in this study. These research findings are
significant because they support the idea that the direction of TAM related research
should be drawn by the (functional or hedonic) purpose of the technology/system.
Based on the current findings, it seems likely that the predictive importance of the

Function
Product virtualization technologies Functional Hedonic

3D rotation view 0.135 0.195

Table III. Virtual Try-on 20.478 0.272
Functions at group
centroids Note: Unstandardized canonical discriminant functions evaluated at group means
hedonic or functional benefits on attitude toward using a particular technology/system Usage of product
will depend, to a large extent, on the primary purpose of the system/technology. If the virtualization
primary purpose of the system/technology is to provide hedonic, rather than functional
benefits, the predictive value of perceived entertainment value will be very important. technologies
Thus, for predominately hedonic systems, the predictive value of perceived
entertainment on attitudes toward using the technology should be greater than the
predictive value of perceived usefulness. 511
Given that product virtualization technologies provide hedonic benefits greater than
the functional benefits provided to online shoppers, we found hedonic benefits to be a
strong predictor of attitudes toward using product virtualization technologies. This
finding suggests that evaluations of user acceptance models, such as the TAM should
consider the (functional or hedonic) nature of system/technology. Unlike systems used
solely for amusement (e.g. movie, music, and games) and designed to meet strictly
hedonic purposes, systems for online shopping provide both functional and hedonic
benefits. Although much research associated with adoption of online shopping has
focused primarily on the functional role of online shopping, the results of this research
suggest that the adoption of product virtualization technology (because of its hedonic
nature) for online apparel shopping will be strongly determined by its hedonic role.
Industry reports confirm the successful application of Virtual Try-on in online
apparel shopping sites. For example, after applying My Virtual Modele technology,
Lands’ End had a 19 percent increase in conversion rates and a 16 percent increase in
online order size (Waxer, 2001). Research in online advertising shows that 3D virtual
product demonstrations lead to higher buying intentions than when the product is
displayed in 2D image (Schlosser, 2003; Li, Daugherty, and Biocca, in press). For
example, sales of Eddie Bauer’s Daypack backpack showed a 25 percent increase when
the product was featured online through interactive 3D technology (Mahoney, 2001).
An e-mail test run byGifts.com found the conversion rate among consumers who
viewed a Mother’s Day pendant through a RichFX 3D video presentation was
approximately seven times higher than among the shoppers who viewed only the 2D
version of the pendant (Mahoney, 2001).
Based on empirical and industry reports regarding the positive contribution of 3D
product visualization and Virtual Try-on on online sales, there is reason to expect that
adoption of product virtualization technologies will positively influence online apparel
purchase behaviors. This research suggests that not only functional value but also
hedonic value can play a pivotal role in increasing the use of product virtualization
technology. That is, the adoption of the product virtualization technology will be
greatly influenced by the hedonic value of the technology. Thus, online apparel
retailers should not focus only on the functional aspect of technology, but pay more
attention to the hedonic aspect of online apparel shopping.
These findings lead to several implications for future research. External variables
such as individual differences in shoppers’ technology anxiety, gender, or motivations
for shopping, may also act as antecedents to beliefs regarding perceived usefulness and
perceived entertainment value and should be considered in further research. According
to Rogers (1995), people are more likely to adopt an innovation they are comfortable
with and that is compatible with other technologies they already use. Thus, consumers
may avoid using a new technology if they are not comfortable with using the
technology (high technology anxiety) even when they can see the benefits of using it.
IJRDM Consumer behavior literature has also recognized that some consumers are more prone
35,6 to hedonic experiences and others more functional in their shopping motivations
(Venkatraman and MacInnis, 1985). It is likely that these individual differences for
hedonic or functional shopping motivations will moderate the link between these two
variables and the attitude toward using certain technologies. Consideration of these
individual differences in explaining the adoption of the product virtualization
512 technology could provide a better understanding of user acceptance of technology
systems.

References
Ajzen, I. and Fishbein, M. (1980), Understanding Attitudes and Predicting Social Behavior,
Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.
Babin, B.J., Darden, W.R. and Griffen, M. (1994), “Work and/or fun: measuring hedonic and
utilitarian shopping value”, Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 20 No. 4, pp. 644-56.
Cheung, W., Chang, M. and Lai, V. (2000), “Prediction of internet and world wide web usage at
work: a test of an extended Triandis model”, Decision Support Systems, Vol. 30 No. 1,
pp. 83-100.
Chilers, L., Carr, C.L., Peck, J. and Carson, S. (2001), “Hedonic and utilitarian motivations for
online retail shopping behavior”, Journal of Retailing, Vol. 77, pp. 511-35.
Davis, F.D. (1989), “Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user acceptance of
information technology”, MIS Quarterly, Vol. 13, pp. 319-40.
Davis, F.D., Bagozzi, R.P. and Warshaw, P.R. (1992), “Extrinsic and intrinsic motivation to use
computers in the workplace”, Journal of Applied Social Psychology, Vol. 22 No. 14,
pp. 1111-32.
Fiore, A.M. and Jin, H-J. (2003), “Influence of image interactivity on approach responses towards
an online retailer”, Internet Research, Vol. 13 No. 1, pp. 38-48.
Fiore, A.M., Jin, H.J. and Kim, J. (2005), “For fun and profit: image interactivity, hedonic value,
and responses towards an online store”, Psychology & Marketing, Vol. 22 No. 8, pp. 669-94 .
Heijden, H. (2004), “User acceptance of hedonic information systems”, MIS Quarterly, Vol. 28
No. 4, pp. 695-704.
Holbrook, M.B. (1994), “The nature of customer value: an axiology of services in the consumption
experience”, in Rust, R.T. and Oliver, R.L. (Eds), Service Quality: New Directions in Theory
and Practice, Sage, Newbury Park, CA, pp. 21-71.
Holbrook, M.B. and Hirschman, E.C. (1982), “The experimental aspects of consumption:
consumer fantasies, feelings, and fun”, Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 9 No. 2,
pp. 132-40.
Hu, L. and Bentler, P.M. (1999), “Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis:
conventional criteria versus new alternatives”, Structural Equation Modeling, Vol. 6,
pp. 1-55.
Igbaria, M., Parasuraman, S. and Baroudi, J.J. (1996), “A motivation model of microcomputer
usage”, Journal of Management Information Systems, Vol. 13 No. 1, pp. 127-43.
Igbaria, M., Schiffman, S.J. and Wieckowshi, T.S. (1994), “The respective roles of perceived
usefulness and perceived fun in the acceptance of microcomputer technology”, Behavior &
Information Technology, Vol. 13 No. 6, pp. 349-61.
Internetretailer.com (2003), “Visualization feature increases conversions on apparel by 15% Usage of product
Orvis.com”, available at: www.internet retailer.com/dailynews.asp?id ¼ 9360 (accessed
September 20, 2005). virtualization
Li, H., Daugherty, T. and Biocca, F. (2001), “Characteristics of virtual experience in electronic technologies
commerce: a protocol analysis”, Journal of Interactive Marketing, Vol. 15 No. 3, pp. 13-30.
Mahoney, M. (2001), “E-tailers dangle 3D imaging to covert surfers to buyers”, E-commerce
Times, available at: www.ecommercetimes.com/perl/story/13521.html (accessed 513
September 20, 2004).
Menon, S. and Kahn, B. (2002), “Cross-category effects of induced arousal and pleasure on the
internet shopping experience”, Journal of Business Research, Vol. 78, pp. 31-40.
Meyers, L.S., Gamst, G. and Guarino, A.J. (2005), Applied Multivariate Research: Design and
Interpretation, Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA.
Money, W. and Turner, A. (2004), “Application of the technology acceptance model to a
knowledge management system”, Proceedings of the 37th Annual Hawaii International
Conference.
Orwall, B. (2001), “Thumbs up: what makes a good entertainment site click? We’re starting to get
the answers”, Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones & Company, 26 March, R6.
Rogers, E. (1995), Diffusion of Innovations, 4th ed., The Free Press, New York, NY.
Schlosser, A.E. (2003), “Experiencing products in the virtual world: the role of goal and imagery
in influencing attitudes versus purchase intentions”, Journal of Consumer Research,
Vol. 30, pp. 184-97.
Shang, R-A., Chen, Y-C. and Shen, L. (2005), “xtrinsic versus intrinsic motivations for consumers
to shop on-line”, Information & Management, Vol. 42 No. 3, pp. 401-13.
Taylor, S. and Todd, P.A. (1995a), “The role of prior experience”, MIS Quarterly, Vol. 19 No. 4,
pp. 561-70.
Taylor, S. and Todd, P.A. (1995b), “Understanding information technology usage: a test of
competing models”, Information Systems Research, Vol. 6 No. 2, pp. 144-76.
Teo, T.S.H., Lim, V.K.G. and Lai, R.Y.C. (1999), “Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in internet
usage”, Omega, Vol. 27 No. 1, pp. 25-37.
Venkatraman, M.P. and MacInnis, D.J. (1985), “The epistemic and sensory exploratory behavior
of hedonic and cognitive consumers”, Advances in Consumer Research, No. 12, pp. 102-7.
Waxer, C. (2001), “Old habits die hard: how to get users to hang up and log on”, Computerworld,
available at: www.computerworld.com/printthis/2001/0,4814,66341,00.html (accessed
January, 2004).

Further reading
Ajzen, I. (1991), “The theory of planned behavior”, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision
Processes, Vol. 50, pp. 179-211.
Arnold, M.J. and Reynolds, K.E. (2003), “Hedonic shopping motivations”, Journal of Retailing,
Vol. 79, pp. 77-95.
Forsythe, S.M. and Bailey, A. (1996), “Shopping enjoyment, perceived time poverty and time
spent shopping”, Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, Vol. 14, pp. 185-91.
Heijden, H. (2000), “E-TAM: a revision of the technology acceptance model to explain websites
revisits”, Research Memorandum., September.
Hirschman, E.C. and Holbrook, M.B. (1982), “Hedonic consumption: emerging concepts, methods
and propositions”, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 46 No. 3, pp. 92-101.
IJRDM Hoffman, D.L. and Novak, T.P. (1996), “Marketing in hypermedia computer-mediated
environments: conceptual foundations”, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 60 No. 3, pp. 50-68.
35,6 Isen, A.M. (1987), “Positive affect, cognitive process, and social behavior”, in Berkowitz, L. (Ed.),
Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, Vol. 20, pp. 203-53.
Li, H., Daugherty, T. and Biocca, F. (2003), “The role of virtual experience in consumer learning”,
Journal of Consumer Psychology, Vol. 13 No. 4, pp. 395-407.
514 Media Metrix (2004), “Statistics bureau”, available at: www.http://medimetrix.com (accessed
September 20).
Teo, T.S.H. and Teong, Y.D. (2003), “Assessing the consumer decision process in the digital
market place”, Journal of Business Research, Vol. 32, pp. 349-63.

About the authors

Jiyeon Kim is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Retailing, University of
South Carolina. Her research includes impulse buying behavior, visual merchandising, online
retailing and consumer behavior. In 2006, she has received an Lectra Innovation Award for
Faculty Research from the International Textiles and Apparel Association for her excellence in
research. Jiyeon Kim is the corresponding author and can be contacted at: [email protected]
Sandra Forsythe is the Wrangler Professor of Consumer Affairs at Auburn University. She
has published over 75 articles in top academic journals, edited proceedings and trade
publications. She serves as a reviewer for several journals and funding agencies, and as a
consultant. Forsythe has presented her research at conferences in the USA, Europe, Central and
South America and East Asia and has received numerous awards for outstanding research. She
has served as Editor of the Clothing and Textiles Research Journal and as President of the
American Collegiate Retailing Association. Forsythe has received competitive research awards.
E-mail: [email protected]

To purchase reprints of this article please e-mail: [email protected]

Or visit our web site for further details: www.emeraldinsight.com/reprints