Conveying product weight in digital media using a hand image

Abstract

The present research examines the role of the image of a hand in an online product evaluation. Through eleven studies (i.e., six in the manuscript and five in the Web Appendix), we show that, when a hand image is depicted in an unsupported holding position (i.e., lifting a product), consumers’ confidence in their judgment of the product's weight is enhanced. This outcome increases product evaluation, purchase intention, and product choice. The hand image effect is mediated by a mental representation of a haptic experience (i.e., haptic imagery). Additionally, we show that an image of a hand in an unsupported holding position increases consumers’ confidence in the product's weight, while other hand positions or their absence do not have a similar impact. Online retailers can use our findings to employ hand images to influence the evaluations and purchase intentions of products in which weight is a salient haptic attribute.