Using social learning theory in examining YouTube viewers’ desire to imitate travel vloggers

Abstract

Purpose Applying social learning theory and the source credibility model, this study aims to investigate the impacts of perceived attractiveness, expertise and trustworthiness of YouTube travel vloggers on viewers’ wishful identification and behavioral intention. The study also aims to examine the effects of vlogger gender on viewers’ perception and on their wish to be like the vlogger. Design/methodology/approach With an online data collection from 402 YouTube travel vlog viewers, a moderated mediation model was tested using multiple linear regression and multivariate nested linear regression. Findings This study found that physical attractiveness, social attractiveness and credibility of travel vloggers positively affected audience wishful identification, among which credibility had the strongest impact. The effect of the travel vlogger’s social attractiveness on viewer wishful identification was even strengthened when the vlogger and the viewer were of different genders. Wishful identification partially mediated the relationship between vloggers’ attributes and viewers’ behavioral intention. Finally, the finding revealed female vloggers were perceived as more physically attractive than males, whereas male vloggers were assessed as more credible than their female counterparts. Originality/value Expanding upon the literature on mass media and social media, this study explains the mechanism of developing intention to imitate the travel vloggers of YouTube viewers. The findings provide tourism and hospitality managers with solution in choosing the most inspirational travel vlogger to influence consumer behavior.

Food vloggers and parasocial interactions: a comparative study of local and foreign food vlogs using the S-O-R paradigm

“…In this study, characteristics of food vloggers are contextualized as modeling stimuli, capable of eliciting vivid imaginal and verbal cues transmitted through a mediated interactional digitized medium of the vlog. The tendency for behavioral modeling would influence viewers' attitudes toward FVs, the destination's food image and eventually visit intentions, which elucidates how influencers like food vloggers possess the capability to impact the food tourists' attitudes and choices because of their position of being an independent third-party endorser (Soltani et al, 2021;Le and Hancer, 2021;Hsu, 2020). Therefore, the social learning system for the viewers of FVs starts with attention and retention as soon as they are engaged in the simulated conversationality of the vloggers.…”

“…visit intentions is reported (Le and Hancer, 2021). The plausibility of PSI experiences is carried forward as a part of the process flow toward the vlog and the destination endorsed by the vlogger (Hsu, 2020).…”

A content analysis of Asian countries’ tourism video advertisements: a luxury travel perspective

“…Table 1 presents a summary of selected recently published articles about videos on SM. In general, videos elicit more engagement (Yost et al , 2021) and affect one’s emotions (Ketter and Avraham, 2021; Lenggogeni et al , 2021), which affect viewers’ future travel intentions and behavior (Le and Hancer, 2021). Conversely, videos can also negatively affect tourism as seen in the study of Yang et al (2021), where the bookings and rates of the peer-to-peer accommodation establishments were negatively affected because of the frequent posting of videos about the virus.…”

“…It is the intention of this study to analyze and explore luxury travel components as depicted and advertised in YouTube videos of selected Asian countries; it intends to address the need for more generalizable findings, both theoretically and methodologically (Foronda-Robles et al , 2021). Likewise, it would provide a glimpse of the effectiveness of the videos developed by the government (Le and Hancer, 2021). Lastly, it addressed the need to adopt a framework suitable to both current and future situation of tourism (Georgescu Paquin and Cerdan Schwitzguébel, 2021).…”

Michael Scott and Authentic Leadership: What we Learn About Leadership from The Office

“…Whereas Bandura's research initially looked at television violence and children, SLT has since been used to analyze media's influence on viewers of different ages and backgrounds (Palmgreen & Rayburn, 1979). For example, SLT has been used to explain how reality television impacts Hispanic college students' view of alcohol (Paredes et al, 2013), what prompts sports fans to cyberbully rivals online (Shadmanfaat et al, 2020), and what makes YouTubers identify with travel vloggers (Le & Hancer, 2021). In sum, SLT explains how television impacts a viewer's thoughts and actions.…”