Antecedents and Consequences of Perceived Interactivity

The study reported in this paper investigated how, as antecedents, personal factors influence consumers’ perception of a web site’s interactivity in the context of making a purchase decision. A review of literature suggests three general factors - Need for Cognition (NFC), product involvement, and product expertise - and three Internet-specific factors - skills, challenges, and web shopping experience - for testing. In addition, attitude toward the web site and purchase intention are examined as consequences of perceived interactivity.NFC was found to be a significant predictor of perceived interactivity of the web site visited. Although marginally significant, skills were also found to be a predictor. The model was supported for one of the three manufacturers’ portal sites employed in the study. Additional analysis found that consumers’ purchase intention was influenced by their attitude toward the web site, but not by the perceived interactivity of the site. This relationship was found for two of the three web sites tested. Implications and suggestions for future research are provided.