Shaping Cultural Consumption Through Digital Interfaces: How Video Narrative on E-Commerce Detail Pages Affects Perceived Authenticity and Psychological Distance

The increasing adoption of e-commerce platforms for intangible cultural heritage product (ICHP) consumption creates a context for examining how cultural value is assessed through restricted digital interfaces. Three scenario-based experiments (N = 1,053) examined how media formats (images vs. videos) and narrative perspectives (craft-making vs. usage scenarios) on product detail pages shape perceived authenticity and psychological distance, and in turn influence purchase intention and willingness to pay. The findings showed that: (1) videos, compared with images, enhanced perceived authenticity and reduced psychological distance, leading to higher purchase intention and willingness to pay; (2) perceived authenticity influenced consumption responses indirectly through psychological distance; and (3) usage-scenario narratives allowed psychological distance to directly predict willingness to pay, whereas craft-making narratives transmitted this effect through purchase intention. These findings provide insights into how digital interfaces shape cultural consumption decisions.