What question did this study set out to answer?

This study aims to develop a scale for wearer dependency and examine its impact with presentation modes on consumer liking.

March 13, 2026Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing0 citations

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Wearer dependency meets presentation mode: how model-worn versus product-only images affect liking through information diagnosticity and mental simulation

SHS. Hong SPSunju Park BKByung Kyu Kim

Key Points

This study aims to develop a scale for wearer dependency and examine its impact with presentation modes on consumer liking.
Developed and validated a measure of wearer dependency (WD) through a pretest.
Classified 16 fashion product categories based on perceived need for on-body viewing (high- vs. low-WD).
Conducted controlled experiments testing the interaction between presentation mode (PM) and WD on consumer liking.
Examined the mediating roles of information diagnosticity (ID) and mental simulation (MS) in a mechanism-focused experiment.
Performed a field study using Reddit user-generated content to confirm findings in natural settings.
Model-worn images boosted liking for high-WD categories, while product-only images were favored in low-WD categories.
The interaction between PM and WD significantly influenced consumer liking.
Information diagnosticity had a stronger influence than mental simulation in mediating the effects.
Conditional effects on liking were shown to impact purchase intentions via a sequential mediation involving ID and MS.

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to introduce wearer dependency (WD) as a product-category construct capturing the extent to which on-body viewing is required to accurately evaluate attributes such as fit, drape, and silhouette. It develops a reliable scale applicable across fashion categories and examines how WD interacts with online product presentation mode (PM) (product-only vs. model-worn images) within user-generated content (UGC) settings to shape consumer liking. Furthermore, it tests information diagnosticity (ID) and mental simulation (MS) as the underlying mediating mechanisms. Design/methodology/approach A pretest was first conducted to develop and validate a measure of WD and to classify 16 fashion product categories by their perceived need for on-body viewing (high- vs. low-WD). Three subsequent studies manipulated PM (product-only vs. model-worn) across WD categories: a controlled experiment testing the PM × WD effect on liking, a mechanism-focused experiment examining ID and MS, and a replication using additional categories. Finally, a field study of Reddit UGC assessed whether this conditional pattern emerges in naturally occurring imagery, strengthening ecological validity. Findings Across studies, PM and WD exhibited a crossover interaction: model-worn images increased liking for high-WD categories, whereas product-only images increased liking for low-WD categories. These effects operated through the joint mediating roles of ID and MS, with ID exerting a slightly stronger influence. Additional analyses demonstrated that this conditional effect carries over to purchase intention via a sequential mediation involving ID/MS and liking. Originality/value This research conceptualizes WD as a validated, product-category–level boundary condition that specifies when model-worn versus product-only imagery enhances or diminishes consumer responses, thereby reconciling mixed findings regarding human presence in product images. By explicating the dual-mediation roles of ID and MS, the study offers evidence-based guidance for aligning PM with specific product categories in visual merchandising and social media marketing.

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Cite This Study

Hong et al. (Tue,) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69b3ab9102a1e69014ccc865 https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1108/jrim-11-2024-0561

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