Validating an episodic UX model on online shopping decision making: a survey study with B2C e-commerce

Abstract

Existing online shopping decision-making models (OSDMs) do not address adequately the role of experiential qualities in customer satisfaction. The awareness of this scoping issue has become stronger due to the recent User Experience (UX) research. We have developed an OSDM called 'Episodic UX Model on Decision-Making' (EUX-DM) by integrating the established technology acceptance model, emerging UX models, and expectation-confirmation theory. EUX-DM covers three phases: before interaction, after interaction, and confirmation. To validate the model, we designed and conducted a web-based survey, which comprises eight main constructs. Five (i.e. usefulness, ease-of-use, aesthetic quality, trust and experiential quality) were measured in all three phases, two (i.e. usage attitude, intention to purchase, overall satisfaction) were measured in the 'during' phase, and one (i.e. overall satisfaction) was measured only in the 'confirmation' phase. Results from analysing 278 responses suggest the validity of our model. Implications for augmenting EUX-DM are discussed.