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Description:
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This dissertation studies the antecedents and consequences of the flow
experience in online retailing environments . Flow is the enjoyable and engrossing
experience that people feel when acting with total involvement . A review of previous
studies suggests that applying the notion of flow to understand the online consumer
experience is a promising but underdeveloped field with several conceptual and
methodological issues .
This dissertation attempts to contribute to our understanding of flow in online
shopping in three ways . First , a three -part validity study was carried out using different
approaches to construct validity and involving two sets of two flow measures : the Flow
State Scale (FSS , Jackson and Marsh 1996 ) and the Internet Flow Scale (IFS ) . The first
study related flow to behavioral criteria in online shopping . The second conducted a
traditional construct validity study in which we developed and tested a nomological
network of relationships between flow measures and other logically -related constructs .
This study also included a Multitrait -Multimethod validity study . The third was a
factorial validity study of the flow construct . These studies provided evidence of
construct validity for flow and suggested that the FSS had advantages over the IFS in
terms of validity .
Second , this dissertation tested a comprehensive model of flow that included the
underlying dimensions of flow , the mediating effects of perceived challenge and skill on
flow , and antecedents and consequences of flow . Consequences of flow include
perceived usefulness , affective responses to the site , and intentions to revisit and
purchase . Overall , results based on data collected by a controlled experiment supported
our model , suggesting that flow is a second -order construct and positively related to
outcome variables .
Thirdly , we studied the effect of Web site complexity on flow . Perceived site
complexity was found to effect flow negatively . Investigating the effects of it on
inducing flow in online shopping may eventually lead us to guidelines for improving the
shopping experience by designing more capable Web sites . |