Antecedents of Consumer Online Apparel Purchase Intention via Virtual Try-On Technology – Model

Abstract

The Antecedents of Consumer Online Apparel Purchase Intention via Virtual Try On Technology–Model (Chidambaram, Rana, & Parayitam, 2024) is a specialized psychological inventory designed to investigate the critical factors (antecedents) that influence a consumer’s intention to purchase apparel online when utilizing Virtual Try On Technology. Developed primarily for the context of electronic retailing, the comprehensive model integrates and adapts established constructs from the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) framework, alongside items derived from prior seminal studies (e.g., Adams et al., 1992; Kim, 2011; Zhang et al., 2019). The instrument, administered to a sample of millennial consumers, provides robust psychometric evidence regarding its five-factor structure, internal reliability, and statistical validity.

Keywords

Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Enjoyment, Perceived Risk, Attitude Towards Virtual Try-on Technology, Behavioral Intention, Consumer Online Apparel Purchase Intention, Unified Theory of Adoption and Utilization of Technology, Consumer Attitudes, Electronic Retailing, Risk Perception, Technology Acceptance

Authors

Chidambaram, Vijayabanu, Rana, Nripendra P., Parayitam, Satyanarayana

Purpose

The primary purpose of this 21-item inventory is to systematically assess and quantify the various psychological and technological antecedents that drive consumer online apparel purchase intention when the consumer interacts with products using a Virtual Try On Technology (VTO) interface. The model provides researchers and practitioners with a structured tool to understand how utility, enjoyment, and risk perception collectively shape consumer behavior in the digital apparel market.

Construct

The scale measures consumer intentions and perceptions related to virtual try-on technology across five distinct, yet interrelated, psychological constructs. These constructs are synthesized to predict the ultimate outcome of Online Apparel Purchase Intention.

• Online Apparel Purchase Intention: The likelihood of the consumer completing a purchase based on their experience.
• Virtual Try On Technology: Measured indirectly through the following components:
• Perceived Usefulness: The degree to which a consumer believes using VTO technology will enhance their shopping efficiency or effectiveness.
• Perceived Enjoyment: The extent to which the consumer finds the interaction with the VTO system intrinsically pleasant or fun.
• Perceived Risk: The consumer’s assessment of potential negative outcomes (e.g., fit issues, data security) associated with using the VTO technology.
• Attitude Towards Virtual Try-On Technology: A consumer’s overall affective evaluation of using the VTO system.
• Behavioral Intention: The intent to use or continue using the VTO system in future online shopping scenarios.

Validity

The scale demonstrates strong evidence for both convergent and discriminant validity, confirming that the latent constructs are measured accurately and distinctly. Convergent validity was established by ensuring the Average Variance Extracted (AVE) values for all constructs exceeded the threshold of 0.50, indicating that items load sufficiently onto their intended factors.

Discriminant validity was robustly supported through the Heterotrait-Monotrait Ratio of Correlations (HTMT) analysis. The HTMT correlation values were consistently below the conservative threshold of 0.90, confirming that each construct measures a unique aspect of the consumer experience and is empirically separable from the others. Further support for validity was provided by the acceptable fit statistics derived from the Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA).

Reliability

The internal consistency of the measurement model was assessed using standard psychometric indices, demonstrating high reliability across all measured variables. The study confirmed that the scale is internally consistent and stable.

• Internal Consistency (Cronbach’s Alpha): Cronbach’s alpha values for all variables fell within the acceptable range of > 0.70 and < 0.95.
• Composite Reliability (CR): The Composite Reliability values further reinforced internal consistency, with all CR scores exceeding 0.80, ranging specifically from 0.85 to 0.89.
• HTMT Analysis: The HTMT correlations, used primarily for discriminant validity, also supported the overall reliability of the measurement model by ensuring low correlation between distinct constructs.

Factor Analysis

The factor structure of the scale was rigorously tested using both common method bias assessment and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) to confirm the hypothesized five-factor structure derived from the theoretical model.

The initial assessment for Common Method Bias (CMB) involved comparing a restrictive one-factor model against the proposed five-factor model. The one-factor model exhibited a poor fit (e.g., χ² = 3305.55; df = 209; RMSEA = 0.078; CFI = 0.71), suggesting that CMB was not a significant threat. In contrast, the five-factor model demonstrated a significantly better fit (Δχ² = 1314.44; Δdf = 10, p < .01).

The final Confirmatory Factor Analysis confirmed the robust measurement model. The five-factor structure achieved acceptable model fit indices: χ² = 1991.11; df = 199; RMSEA = 0.076; Standardized RMR = 0.052; CFI = 0.89; TLI = 0.87; GFI = 0.86. These results strongly support the conceptualization of the instrument as a multi-dimensional measure of VTO antecedents.

Instrument

Test Type: Inventory/Questionnaire

Format: The instrument is a 21-item measure utilizing a Likert five-point scale. Responses range from “1” (strongly disagree) to “5” (strongly agree). Administration was conducted via a paper-based methodology.

Language Available: English

Population Group: Human; Male and Female consumers residing in India.

Age Group: Adulthood (18+), specifically targeting Young Adulthood (18–29) and Thirties (30–39), focusing on the Millennial Consumers demographic.

Population Details: The sample consisted of millennial consumers in India who have experience with or exposure to online apparel shopping utilizing virtual try-on technology.

Test Methodology: The study employed rigorous statistical techniques including Test Validity, Construct Validity, Content Validity, Convergent Validity, Discriminant Validity, Test Reliability, Internal Consistency, Factor Analysis, Confirmatory Factor Analysis, and Measurement Model testing.

Keywords

Consumer Attitudes, Consumer Behavior, Electronic Retailing, Risk Perception, Behavioral Intention, Human Computer Interaction Measures, Consumer Measures, Technology Acceptance, Millennial Consumers, Virtual Try On Technology

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5565-4413 (for Parayitam, Satyanarayana)

Affiliation Email addresses: Not Available in Source Content

Correspondence Address: Not Available in Source Content

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Commercial Use: No

Fee Required: No

Test Year: 2024

Reference’s

• Chidambaram, V., Rana, N. P., & Parayitam, S. (2024). Antecedents of consumer online apparel purchase intention via virtual try on technology. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services.
• Adams, D. A., Nelson, R. R., & Todd, P. A. (1992). Perceived usefulness, ease of use, and usage of information technology: A replication. MIS Quarterly, 16(2), 227-247.
• Kim, J. (2011). The effect of virtual try-on on the consumer’s perceived fit and purchase intention. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 18(6), 511-516.
• Zhang, S., Zhao, J., Fan, W., & Lu, X. (2019). The effect of virtual try-on technology on online purchase intention: A perspective of perceived risk and flow experience. Journal of Electronic Commerce Research, 20(4), 312-330.

Items of the Antecedents of Consumer Online Apparel Purchase Intention via Virtual Try On Technology–Model

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

The test items (N=21) for the Antecedents of Consumer Online Apparel Purchase Intention via Virtual Try On Technology–Model are not available in the source content provided.