A Study on the Impact of Parasocial Interaction with Virtual Characters in Social Apps on In-App Purchase Intention : Focusing on the 'Xingye' app

Key Points

• The aim is to investigate how parasocial interaction with virtual characters impacts user emotional input and in-app purchase intentions.
• Built an analytical framework integrating theories of parasocial interaction, emotional attachment, loyalty, satisfaction, and in-app purchase intention.
• Conducted a month-long cross-sectional survey using the 'Xingye' app.
• Applied a combined analysis system using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA).
• SEM analysis revealed that parasocial interaction has a significant positive effect on emotional attachment, emotional loyalty, and in-app purchase intention.
• Emotional attachment and user satisfaction did not directly explain in-app purchase intention.
• NCA analysis identified that parasocial interaction and emotional loyalty are necessary conditions for forming in-app purchase intention.

Abstract