Examining the Effects of Technology Self-Efficacy and Social Presence on Metaverse Attachment and Continuation Intention

Year 2025, Volume: 10 Issue: 1, 107 - 126, 20.03.2025

Fatma Demirağ

https://doi.org/10.30622/tarr.1608295

Abstract

This study adopts the technology affordance theory and stimulus-organism-response theory (SOR). Technology affordance theory argues that technology offers users opportunities to perform specific actions. This theory focuses on how users realize the opportunities provided by the design and how they use them. On the other hand, stimulus-organism-response theory explains how environmental stimuli affect the individual and how the organism (individual) responds to these stimuli. A stimulus in the external world (e.g. an advertisement, product design, or website interface) affects an organism (individual). This effect leads to a specific reaction (e.g. a purchase decision, mood change, positive or negative thoughts, etc.). This model provides a psychological and behavioral framework to understand how people respond to environmental factors. In light of these theories, the study examines the effects of technology self-efficacy and social presence on metaverse attachment and intention to continue using metaverse-based virtual platforms. The study was designed based on the quantitative research method. The research design was based on digital games because digital games offer the closest experience to the metaverse world, and young consumers show a strong interest in them. Digital games in the metaverse were shown to university students and participants who wanted to participate in the study experienced these digital games. The research data were collected from 387 university students through a survey. The relationships between the variables were analyzed using the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) technique. According to the research results, the participants significantly affected their technology self-efficacy, social presence and metaverse attachment. Social presence also affects attachment to the metaverse and continuation intention. In addition, it was determined that attachment to the metaverse affects the intention to continue using metaverse-based virtual platforms. The research also revealed that metaverse attachment and social presence mediate the relationship between technology self-efficacy and continuation intention. It was also found that social presence mediates the relationship between technology self-efficacy and continuation intention. This research provides theoretical and practical insights into consumers’ metaverse-based technological self-efficacy, social presence, attachment, and metaverse continuance intention. Theoretically, considering the increasing role of virtual environments in society, the study provides a valuable framework for understanding metaverse participation and shaping the future. In addition, it is thought that examining the connection between the virtual world and the real world contributes to the development of new approaches to continuance intention and an in-depth understanding of social interaction in virtual environments. In practical terms, understanding how new technologies such as the metaverse are used, especially among young consumers, provides important data on technology acceptance and user behavior. Such studies can contribute to the more effective design of metaverse platforms by revealing the effects of technological self-efficacy and social presence on user experience. It is understood that social presence and technology perceptions can strengthen users’ attachments to the metaverse and affect their intention to use the platforms for extended periods. These findings provide valuable information for users' marketing strategies and promotional methods. Examining the impact of technology self-efficacy and social presence perception on individuals' commitment to metaverse experiences and continuous usage intentions can help deeply understand the role of psychological and technological factors on user behavior. As a result, this study can contribute to developing user-centered strategies by businesses developing metaverse platforms.

Keywords

Technological self-efficacy, social presence, attachment to metaverse, intention to continuance to metaverse

Teknoloji Öz Yeterliliği ve Sosyal Varlığın Metaverse Bağlanma ve Devam Niyeti Üzerindeki Etkilerinin İncelenmesi

Abstract

Bu çalışma, teknoloji uygunluk teorisi (technology affordance theory ) ve uyaran-organizma-tepki (stimulus-organism-response theory) (SOR) teorisini benimsemektedir. Teknoloji uygunluk teorisi, bir teknolojinin kullanıcılarına belirli eylemleri gerçekleştirme fırsatları sunduğunu savunmaktadır. Bu teori, kullanıcıların tasarımın sunduğu imkanları nasıl fark ettikleri ve bu imkanları nasıl kullandıkları üzerine odaklanır. Öte yandan, uyaran-organizma-tepki teorisi, çevresel uyaranların birey üzerinde nasıl bir etki yaratarak, organizmanın (bireyin) bu uyaranlara nasıl tepki verdiğini açıklar. Dış dünyadaki bir uyaran (örneğin bir reklam, ürün tasarımı veya web sitesi arayüzü) bir organizma (birey) üzerinde bir etki yaratmaktadır. Bu etki, belirli bir tepkiye yol açmaktadır (örneğin, satın alma kararı, duygu durumu değişikliği, olumlu ya da olumsuz düşünceler vb.). Bu model, insanların çevresel faktörlere nasıl tepki verdiğini anlamaya yönelik psikolojik ve davranışsal bir çerçeve sunmaktadır. Bu teoriler ışığında, çalışma teknoloji öz yeterliliği ve sosyal varlığın metaverse bağlanma ve metaverse tabanlı sanal platformları kullanmaya devam etme niyeti üzerindeki etkilerini incelemektedir. Çalışma, nicel araştırma yöntemine dayanarak tasarlanmıştır. Araştırma tasarımı dijital oyunların metaverse dünyasına en yakın deneyimi sunduğu ve genç tüketiciler dijital oyunlara güçlü bir ilgi göstermesi nedeniyle dijital oyunlar üzerine kurgulanmıştır. Metaverse'teki dijital oyunlar üniversite öğrencilerine gösterilmiş ve çalışmaya katılmak isteyen katılımcılar bu dijital oyunları deneyimlemiştir. Araştırma verileri anket yoluyla 387 üniversite öğrencisinden toplanmıştır. Değişkenler arasındaki ilişkiler, Kısmi En Küçük Kareler Yapısal Eşitlik Modellemesi (PLS-SEM) tekniği kullanılarak analiz edilmiştir. Araştırma sonuçlarına göre, katılımcıların teknoloji öz yeterliliği, sosyal varlık ve metaverse bağlılığı üzerinde anlamlı bir etkisi olduğu görülmüştür. Sosyal varlık, metaverse'e bağlanma ve devam etme niyeti üzerinde de etkili olmaktadır. Ayrıca, metaverse'e bağlanmanın, metaverse tabanlı sanal platformları kullanmaya devam etme niyetini etkilediği belirlenmiştir. Araştırma ayrıca, metaverse bağlanma ve sosyal varlığın, teknoloji öz yeterliliği ile devam etme niyeti arasındaki ilişkide aracılık rolü oynadığını ortaya koymuştur. Sosyal varlığın da, teknoloji öz yeterliliği ile devam etme niyeti arasındaki ilişkide aracılık etkisi yaptığı tespit edilmiştir. Bu araştırma, tüketicilerin metaverse tabanlı teknolojik öz yeterlilik, sosyal varlık, bağlanma ve metaverse devam etme niyetine dair hem teorik hem de pratik içgörüler sunmaktadır. Teorik olarak, sanal ortamların toplumdaki artan rolünü göz önünde bulundurarak, çalışma metaverse katılımını anlamak ve geleceği şekillendirmek için değerli bir çerçeve sunar. Ayrıca, sanal dünya ile gerçek dünya arasındaki bağlantının incelenmesi, devam etme niyeti üzerine yeni yaklaşımların geliştirilmesi ve sanal ortamlarda sosyal etkileşimin derinlemesine anlaşılması açısından da katkı sağladığı düşünülmektedir. Pratik açıdan ise, metaverse gibi yeni teknolojilerin özellikle genç tüketiciler arasında nasıl kullanıldığını anlamak, teknoloji kabulü ve kullanıcı davranışları üzerine önemli veriler sağlar. Bu tür araştırmalar, teknoloji öz yeterliliği ve sosyal varlığın kullanıcı deneyimi üzerindeki etkilerini ortaya koyarak, metaverse platformlarının daha etkili bir şekilde tasarlanmasına katkıda bulunabilir. Sosyal varlık ve teknoloji algılarının, kullanıcıların metaverse'e olan bağlarını güçlendirebileceği ve platformları daha uzun süre kullanma niyetini etkileyebileceği anlaşılmaktadır. Bu bulgular, pazarlama stratejileri ve kullanıcılara yönelik tutundurma yöntemleri için değerli bilgiler sunmaktadır. Teknoloji öz yeterliliği ve sosyal varlık algısının, bireylerin metaverse deneyimlerine olan bağlanmaları ve sürekli kullanım niyetleri üzerindeki etkisini incelemek, hem psikolojik hem de teknolojik faktörlerin kullanıcı davranışları üzerindeki rolünü derinlemesine anlamaya yardımcı olabilir. Sonuç olarak, bu çalışma, metaverse platformlarını geliştiren işletmelerin kullanıcı odaklı stratejiler geliştirmelerine katkı sağlayabilir.

Keywords

Teknolojik öz yeterlilik, sosyal varlık, metaverse, metaverse

References

• Alkan, N., Tan, A., & Armutcu, B. (2023). A Research on the Evaluation of Metaverse World in Terms of Consumer Purchasing Behaviors, VI. ASC Fall Congress,136-143.
• Anwar, C., Sofyan, H., Ratnaningsih, N., & AM, M. A. (2024). Digital technology practices for vocational teachers in the industrial revolution 4.0: Mediating technology self-efficacy. Journal of Pedagogical Research, 8(1), 172-190.
• Balakrishnan, J., Das, R., Alalwan, A. A., Raman, R., & Dwivedi, Y. K. (2024). Informative and peripheral metaverse: Which leads to experience? An investigation from the viewpoint of self-concept. Computers in Human Behavior, 156, 108223.
• Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. W.H. Freeman.
• Berber, Ş. (2023). Metaverse and Businesses: Current Practices-Future Scenarios. Journal of Anadolu University Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, 24(3), 598-631.
• Boo, C., & Suh, A. (2024). Developing scales for assessing metaverse characteristics and testing their utility. Computers in Human Behavior Reports, 13, 100366.
• Bousba, Y., & Arya, V. (2022). Let's connect in metaverse. Brand's new destination to increase consumers' affective brand engagement & their satisfaction and advocacy. Journal of Content Community Communication, 14, 276-293.
• Bozkurt, S., Gligor, D., Locander, J., & Rather, R. A. (2023). How social media self-efficacy and social anxiety affect customer purchasing from agile brands on social media. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, (ahead-of-print).
• Chakraborty, D., Polisetty, A., & Rana, N. P. (2024). Consumers' continuance intention towards metaverse-based virtual stores: A multi-study perspective, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 203, 123405.
• Chen, H. J. (2023). Gather in the metaverse: Learning outcomes, virtual presence, and perceptions of high-and low-achieving pre-service teachers of English as a Foreign Language. Education and Information Technologies, 1-29.
• Çelikkol, Ş. (2022). Evaluation of the Metaverse World in terms of Consumer Purchasing Behavior. Istanbul Kent University Journal of Human and Social Sciences, 3(1), 64-75.
• Davies, C., & Jung-a, S. (2022). Asia's largest metaverse platform Zepeto ramps up global expansion. Tersedia dalam Talian: https://www.ft.com/content/14c88e84-f3c8-485e-a9df-31ead34e48f0.
• Dwivedi, Y. K., Balakrishnan, J., Mishra, A., De Bock, K. W., & Al-Busaidi, A. S. (2024). The role of embodiment, experience, and self-image expression in creating continuance intention in the metaverse. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 203, 123402.
• Efron, B., & Tibshirani, R. J. (1993). An Introduction to the Bootstrap. Chapman & Hall/CRC.
• Erçin Yurcu, M. (2023). Pazarlama ve Dijital Teknolojiler: Uygulama Örnekleri, Sentez ve Araştırma Ajandası in Pazarlamanın Dijital Dönüşümü: Pazarlama 5.0.Fettahoğlu, H. S. (ed), Bilginer Özsaatcı, F. G. (ed) (2023). Özgür Publications. DOI: https://doi.org/10.58830/ozgur.pub254. License: CC-BY-NC 4.0
• Fokides, E. (2023). Development and testing of a scale for examining factors affecting the learning experience in the Metaverse. Computers & Education: X Reality, 2.
• Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. F. (1981). Evaluating Structural Equation Models with Unobservable Variables and Measurement Error. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(1), 39-50.
• Ghali, Z., Rather, R. A., & Khan, I. (2024). Investigating metaverse marketing-enabled consumers' social presence, attachment, engagement and (re)visit intentions. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 77, 103671.
• Ghasemy, M., Teeroovengadum, V., Becker, J.-M., & Ringle, C. M. (2020). This Fast Car Can Move Faster: A Review of PLS-SEM Application in Higher Education Research. Higher Education, 79(5), 1045-1069.
• Gil-Cordero, E., Maldonado-López, B., Ledesma-Chaves, P., & García-Guzmán, A. (2024). Do small-and medium-sized companies intend to use the Metaverse as part of their strategy? A behavioral intention analysis. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 30(2/3), 421-449.
• Güler, G., & Zeren, D. (2024). Metaverse: Bibliometric Analysis of National Literature. Academic Sensitivities, 11(24), 599-623.
• Hair et al. (2017): Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2017). A Primer on Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). SAGE Publications.
• Hair Jr, J. F., Sarstedt, M., Hopkins, L., & Kuppelwieser, V. G. (2014). Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM): An emerging tool in business research. European Business Review, 26(2), 106-121.
• Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., & Anderson, R. E. (2019). Multivariate Data Analysis (8th ed.). Cengage Learning.
• Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2014). A primer on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). SAGE Publications.
• Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2022). A Primer on Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) (3rd ed.). Sage Publications.
• Hayes, A. F. (2013). Introduction to Mediation, Moderation, and Conditional Process Analysis: A Regression-Based Approach. The Guilford Press.
• Henseler, J., Hubona, G., & Ray, P. A. (2016). Using PLS path modeling in new technology research: updated guidelines. Industrial management & data systems, 116(1), 2-20.
• Hooper, A. (2008). A multi-temporal InSAR method incorporating both persistent scatterer and small baseline approaches. Geophysical Research Letters, 35(16). https://www.statista.com/statistics/1295784/metaverse-market-size/
• Iacobucci, D., Ostrom, A., & Grayson, K. (1995). Distinguishing service quality and customer satisfaction: the voice of the consumer. Journal of consumer psychology, 4(3), 277-303.
• Jayawardena, N. S., Thaichon, P., Quach, S., Razzaq, A., & Behl, A. (2023). The persuasion effects of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) video advertisements: A conceptual review. Journal of Business Research, 160, 113739.
• Jo, H. (2023). Tourism in the digital frontier: A study on user continuance intention in the metaverse. Information Technology & Tourism, 25(3), 307-330.
• Jung, T., Cho, J., Han, D. I. D., Ahn, S. J. G., Gupta, M., Gopal, D., ... & Tom Dieck, M. C. (2024). Metaverse for service industries: Future applications, opportunities, challenges and research directions. Computers in Human Behavior, 108039.
• Kaynar, K. E., & Marangoz, A. Y. (2023). The Relationship of Consumer Mobile Self-Efficacy and Online Consumer Comments with Online Purchase Intention. Journal of Anadolu University Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, 24(4), 287-309.
• Khan, S. W., Raza, S. H., & Zaman, U. (2022). Remodeling digital marketplace through Metaverse: A multi-path model of consumer neuroticism, parasocial relationships, social media influencers credibility, and openness to Metaverse experience. Pakistan Journal of Commerce and Social Sciences (PJCSS), 16(3), 337-365.
• Kim, D. Y., Lee, H. K., & Chung, K. (2023). Avatar-mediated experience in the metaverse: The impact of avatar realism on user-avatar relationship. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 73, 103382.
• Kim, J., & Bae, J. (2023). Influences of persona self on luxury brand attachment in the Metaverse context. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics.
• Kock, N., & Hadaya, P. (2018). Minimum sample size estimation in PLS‐SEM: The inverse square root and gamma‐exponential methods. Information systems journal, 28(1), 227-261.
• Koç, F. N. (2023). Opportunities and limitations of digital marketing to the metaverse phenomenon: An examination of the textile industry (Master's thesis, Istanbul Gelisim University Graduate School of Education).
• Lee, M., Min, K. Z. L., & Kim, S. H. (2024). Does the Experience of Using Metaverse Affect the Relationship between Social Identity, Psychological Ownership, and Engagement?
• Liu, H., & Park, K. S. (2024). Exploring the impact of metaverse tourism experiences on actual visit intentions: An integrated model of presence, the Technology Acceptance Model, and the Theory of Planned Behavior. International Journal of Tourism Research, 26(1), e2616.
• Lo, F. Y., Su, C. Y., & Chen, C. H. (2024). Identifying Factor Associations Emerging from an Academic Metaverse Event for Scholars in a Postpandemic World: Social Presence and Technology Self-Efficacy in Gather. Town. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 27(1), 19-27.
• Mehrotra, A., Agarwal, R., Khalil, A., Alzeiby, E. A., & Agarwal, V. (2024). Nitty-gritties of customer experience in metaverse retailing. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 79, 103876.
• Netemeyer, R. G., Bearden, W. O., & Sharma, S. (2003). Scaling procedures: Issues and applications. Sage Publications.
• Nunnally, J. C., & Bernstein, I. H. (1994). Psychometric Theory (3rd ed.). McGraw-Hill.
• Oh, H. J., Kim, J., Chang, J. J., Park, N., & Lee, S. (2023). Social benefits of living in the metaverse: The relationships among social presence, supportive interaction, social self-efficacy, and feelings of loneliness. Computers in Human Behavior, 139, 107498.
• Oleksy, T., Wnuk, A., & Lassota, I. (2023). Attachment to real-world places and willingness to migrate to metaverse virtual worlds. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 92, 102161.
• Pal, D., & Arpnikanondt, C. (2024). The sweet escape to the metaverse: Exploring escapism, anxiety, and virtual place attachment. Computers in Human Behavior, 150, 107998.
• Payal, R., Sharma, N., & Dwivedi, Y. K. (2024). Unlocking the impact of brand engagement in the metaverse on Real-World purchase intentions: Analyzing Pre-Adoption behavior in a futuristic technology platform. Electronic Commerce Research and Applications, 65, 101381.
• Preacher, K. J., & Hayes, A. F. (2004). SPSS and SAS procedures for estimating indirect effects in simple mediation models. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers, 36(4), 717-731.
• Preacher, K. J., & Hayes, A. F. (2008). Asymptotic and resampling strategies for assessing and comparing indirect effects in multiple mediator models. Behavior Research Methods, 40(3), 879-891.
• Rane, N., Choudhary, S., & Rane, J. (2023). Metaverse for Enhancing Customer Loyalty: Effective Strategies to Improve Customer Relationship, Service, Engagement, Satisfaction, and Experience. Service, Engagement, Satisfaction, and Experience.
• Safitri, A., Husin, N., Arifah, I. D. C., Dewi, R. S., Kharisma, F., & Kautsar, A. (2024). Metaverse User Experience, Customer Engagement, and Brand Awareness Relation as SMEs Marketing Strategies in Virtual Worlds. In 2024 ASU International Conference in Emerging Technologies for Sustainability and Intelligent Systems (1092-1096).
• Salvador, F., Rungtusanatham, M. J., & Montanez, J. P. M. (2015). Antecedents of mass customization capability: Direct and interaction effects. Transactions on Engineering Management, 62(4), 618-630.
• Sarstedt, M., Ringle, C. M., Cheah, J. H., Ting, H., Moisescu, O. I., & Radomir, L. (2020). Structural model robustness checks in PLS-SEM. Tourism Economics, 26(4), 531-554.
• Shin, S., Koo, C., Kim, J., & Gursoy, D. (2024). Effects of metaverse experience on behavioral intention of visitors: moderating role of similarity between virtual and real experience. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management.
• Sun, H., & Guo, R. (2024). The Effect of Metaverse Concert Characteristics on User Re-Participation Intention: A Combination of the ETAM and the SPICE Model. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 1-14.
• Venkatesh, V., Morris, M. G., Davis, G. B., & Davis, F. D. (2003). User acceptance of information technology: Toward a unified view. MIS quarterly, 27(3), 425-478.
• Vo-Thanh, T., Zaman, M., Hasan, R., R., Rather, R. A., Lombardi, R., & Secundo, G. (2021). How a mobile app can become a catalyst for sustainable social business: The case of Too Good To Go. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 171, 120962.
• Yoon, S., & Nam, Y. (2024). Metaverse engagement and Korea travel intentions: Understanding affordances, presence, and place attachment among Brazilian ZEPETO users. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 31, 100865.
• Yung, R., Le, T. H., Moyle, B., & Arcodia, C. (2022). Towards a typology of virtual events. Tourism Management, 92, 104560.
• Zarouali, B. (2024). People's Intentions to Use Metaverse Technology: Investigating the Role of Gratifications and Perceptions. Presence: Virtual and Augmented Reality, 1-14.
• Zhang, W., & Wang, Y. (2023). An empirical study of the impact of metaverse storytelling on intentions to visit. Information Technology & Tourism, 25(3), 411-432.
• Zhou, L. (2022). Metaverse statistics 2022: Market size, users, and industry growth. Luisa Zhou https://www.luisazhou.com/blog/metaverse-statistics/.