Predicting delight: the role of trust and anticipation in an online gaming environment

Existing research leveraging online consumer reviews (including gaming reviews) has produced practical insights but limited theoretical progress, often relying on descriptive or linear analyses. To address this gap, this study develops and tests a stimulus–organism–response (S-O-R) model in which hedonic and utilitarian stimuli shape internal states, trust and anticipation, that generate consumer delight, defined as a fusion of joy and surprise. The model is evaluated using 2,409,631 consumer reviews from a major digital gaming platform. Results show that hedonic and utilitarian attributes significantly strengthen trust; trust, in turn, increases anticipation and delight, and anticipation also positively affects delight. Trust fully mediates the effects of hedonic and utilitarian stimuli on delight. These findings clarify psychological mechanisms underlying delight and offer guidance for strategically leveraging design elements to enhance engagement and build stronger consumer relationships.