Home cooking in the digital age: When observing food influencers on social media triggers the imitation of their practices

Self Cite

Social media influencers are effective in influencing the purchase intention of their audience. Aside from products, influencers also promote certain lifestyles and behaviors. Food influencers, for example, frequently feature home cooking, a healthier behavior compared to snacking or dining out. This study explored the potential of social media influencers in promoting such behavior. Driven by social cognitive theory, we explored whether self‐efficacy, perceived benefits, and concerns (social, entertainment, health, and economic) relate to the intention of the audience to cook at home following the recipes an Instagram influencer provides. We conducted three separate studies (two surveys and one experiment) with a French population of social network platform users. Our results showed that the entertainment value of an observed behavior is the main driver for imitation on social media, along with self‐efficacy, at least for women. Mixed results were obtained for social benefits. The perceived ease of the recipe, cooking experience, and explicit verbal encouragement were positively related to self‐efficacy. Surprisingly, the effect of health and economic benefits or concerns and labeling was not confirmed.

Home cooking in the digital age: When observing food influencers on social media triggers the imitation of their practices

Sokolova,

Vessal,

Perez

2024

Self Cite

Revealing the double‐edged sword: Introducing the Technology and Consumer Well‐being Paradox Model

McLean,

Krey,

Barhorst

2024

While discourse on technology and consumer well‐being has been at the forefront of academics' and practitioners' agendas, the theoretical understanding of the complex interplay between technology and consumer well‐being has remained tenuous. To address this gap in our understanding of technology's influence on consumer well‐being, this research provides a comprehensive literature review of recent articles published in Psychology & Marketing. Findings indicate a double‐edged sword where technology has the propensity to not only foster a state of negative well‐being but can also enhance consumers' well‐being. Additionally, a technology well‐being paradox is uncovered whereby technology is used to manage the negative effects of technology use. Accordingly, we introduce the Technology and Consumer Well‐being Paradox Model that incorporates technology's propensity to enhance, diminish, and manage eudaimonic and hedonic consumer well‐being. Furthermore, the influence of the purpose of technology use and changes to consumer well‐being over time with technology use are also considered. Finally, we provide pertinent avenues for future research to further understanding on the technology and consumer well‐being paradox.

Is Virtual Reality Lonely? The VR–Isolation Stereotype and Its Impact on VR Adoption

Slivkin,

Elgaaied‐Gambier,

Hamdi‐Kidar

2024

Despite the promise that virtual reality (VR) technology would be the new media of unprecedented connectedness, our investigation reveals that non‐owners perceive VR as a medium of social isolation, which may hinder its broader acceptance. Drawing on innovation resistance theory, we empirically test the existence of an implicit cognitive association between VR and isolation and then analyze the effects of this bias on VR adoption. Implicit Association Tests (IAT) used in Studies 1a (N = 199) and 1b (N = 200) identify a significant bias, associating VR with isolation. Study 2 (N = 401) further demonstrates the negative association of this bias with the societal image of VR users, potentially deterring willingness to engage with VR technology. Identification and intention to imitate emerge as relevant mediators. Studies 3a (N = 329) and 3b (N = 200) reveal that consumers' perceptions of isolation decrease when VR users are shown interacting with other people in real life (physical presence) but not when they are interacting through the VR platform (virtual presence). This research contributes to the understanding of innovation resistance and VR adoption by underscoring the importance of confronting and reshaping subconscious stereotypes about VR and its users.