Emotional Resonance and Buying Behavior in Live Streaming: A Study on KOL Influence and the Mediation of Purchase Intentions

This study aims to explore how key opinion leader (KOL) characteristics influence users’ purchase intentions in live shopping. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study combines real-time pop-up text mining and questionnaires, analyzed via Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modeling and a resea...

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Main Authors: Jinpeng Wen, Xiaohua Li, Hongxing Han
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/0718-1876/20/2/108
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author Jinpeng Wen
Xiaohua Li
Hongxing Han
author_facet Jinpeng Wen
Xiaohua Li
Hongxing Han
author_sort Jinpeng Wen
collection DOAJ
description This study aims to explore how key opinion leader (KOL) characteristics influence users’ purchase intentions in live shopping. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study combines real-time pop-up text mining and questionnaires, analyzed via Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modeling and a research framework integrating the stimulus–organism–response (SOR) model with pleasure–arousal–dominance (PAD) theory. Results indicate that KOL characteristics—namely professionalism, popularity, attractiveness, and entertainment—enhance users’ pleasure, arousal, and trust. These emotions boost impulse buying intentions but not planned ones. Planned purchase intention acts as a partial mediator, whereas impulse purchase intention serves as a full mediator. This research uncovers the intricate mechanism linking KOL traits to user emotions and purchase intentions. By integrating PAD theory and the SOR model, it examines emotional mediators, addresses prior theoretical gaps, offers vital insights for refining live-streaming marketing strategies, and holds substantial theoretical and practical significance for the sustainable growth of live-streaming e-commerce.
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issn 0718-1876
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publishDate 2025-05-01
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series Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research
spelling doaj-art-0af3faa392e44f8294a236b6ecde5bdd2025-08-20T03:27:23ZengMDPI AGJournal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research0718-18762025-05-0120210810.3390/jtaer20020108Emotional Resonance and Buying Behavior in Live Streaming: A Study on KOL Influence and the Mediation of Purchase IntentionsJinpeng Wen0Xiaohua Li1Hongxing Han2School of Journalism and Communication, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, ChinaSchool of Journalism and Communication, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, ChinaSchool of Journalism and Communication, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, ChinaThis study aims to explore how key opinion leader (KOL) characteristics influence users’ purchase intentions in live shopping. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study combines real-time pop-up text mining and questionnaires, analyzed via Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modeling and a research framework integrating the stimulus–organism–response (SOR) model with pleasure–arousal–dominance (PAD) theory. Results indicate that KOL characteristics—namely professionalism, popularity, attractiveness, and entertainment—enhance users’ pleasure, arousal, and trust. These emotions boost impulse buying intentions but not planned ones. Planned purchase intention acts as a partial mediator, whereas impulse purchase intention serves as a full mediator. This research uncovers the intricate mechanism linking KOL traits to user emotions and purchase intentions. By integrating PAD theory and the SOR model, it examines emotional mediators, addresses prior theoretical gaps, offers vital insights for refining live-streaming marketing strategies, and holds substantial theoretical and practical significance for the sustainable growth of live-streaming e-commerce.https://www.mdpi.com/0718-1876/20/2/108key opinion leaderSOR modelLDA topic miningPAD theorylive-streaming e-commerce
spellingShingle Jinpeng Wen
Xiaohua Li
Hongxing Han
Emotional Resonance and Buying Behavior in Live Streaming: A Study on KOL Influence and the Mediation of Purchase Intentions
Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research
key opinion leader
SOR model
LDA topic mining
PAD theory
live-streaming e-commerce
title Emotional Resonance and Buying Behavior in Live Streaming: A Study on KOL Influence and the Mediation of Purchase Intentions
title_full Emotional Resonance and Buying Behavior in Live Streaming: A Study on KOL Influence and the Mediation of Purchase Intentions
title_fullStr Emotional Resonance and Buying Behavior in Live Streaming: A Study on KOL Influence and the Mediation of Purchase Intentions
title_full_unstemmed Emotional Resonance and Buying Behavior in Live Streaming: A Study on KOL Influence and the Mediation of Purchase Intentions
title_short Emotional Resonance and Buying Behavior in Live Streaming: A Study on KOL Influence and the Mediation of Purchase Intentions
title_sort emotional resonance and buying behavior in live streaming a study on kol influence and the mediation of purchase intentions
topic key opinion leader
SOR model
LDA topic mining
PAD theory
live-streaming e-commerce
url https://www.mdpi.com/0718-1876/20/2/108
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AT xiaohuali emotionalresonanceandbuyingbehaviorinlivestreamingastudyonkolinfluenceandthemediationofpurchaseintentions
AT hongxinghan emotionalresonanceandbuyingbehaviorinlivestreamingastudyonkolinfluenceandthemediationofpurchaseintentions