Investigating the discrepancy between motivation and live-streaming media usage through the analysis of user engagement

For a better understanding of user experiences in new media, this paper develops an empirical model to examine the relationships between individual motivations, user engagement and livestreaming media usage. An online survey was used to collect 565 valid samples and verify them through the method of partial least square (PLS) in terms of measurement validity and path relationships. An empirical framework was developed to illustrate the correlation between motivation and interaction process during livestreaming. Social engagement has more influence on user intention than content and host engagement. In addition, individuals may have more entertainment-related and social motives when interacting with hosts and attaining mental support from the social community. Social influence is the main drive behind the host and social engagement, among other factors. The results contribute to the research community by delineating the scopes of viewers' motivation and engagement experience which are not discussed in prior studies.