The Influence of Smart Home Appliance Technology Perception on Sustainable Consumption Behavior: The Serial Mediating Effects of Perceived Value and Perceived Consumer Effectiveness Within the SOR Framework

Against the backdrop of the digital economy, the deep integration of artificial intelligence and Internet of Things technologies has driven the rapid adoption of smart home appliances, providing new pathways for energy conservation, emissions reduction, and sustainable consumption in households. However, the psychological mechanisms underlying the transformation of smart home appliance technology perceptions into sustainable consumption behaviors—particularly the serial mediating roles of perceived value and perceived consumer effectiveness—remain to be thoroughly investigated. Based on the SOR theory, a research model was constructed with perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use as stimulus variables, perceived value and perceived consumer effectiveness as organism variables, and sustainable consumption behavior as the response variable. Empirical analysis was conducted using SmartPLS based on 508 valid questionnaires. The results indicate that the model exhibits good explanatory power (R2 = 50.4%), with significant positive relationships among all variables. Among these, perceived usefulness has a positive association with perceived value; perceived value is significantly associated with perceived consumer effectiveness; and perceived consumer effectiveness has a significant direct association with sustainable consumption behavior. Furthermore, perceived value and perceived consumer effectiveness play significant mediating and serial mediating roles. This study reveals the psychological transmission mechanism through which the perceived technology of smart home appliances influences sustainable consumption behavior, expands the application of SOR theory, and provides a theoretical basis and practical guidance for smart home appliance companies to formulate green marketing strategies oriented toward value enhancement and efficacy strengthening.