Immersion and disillusion: investigating the behavioral consequences of augmented reality and virtual reality in online consumer journey

Abstract

This thesis investigates the multifaceted impact of immersive technologies, specifically augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), on consumer behavior in online retailing. As these technologies transform the digital marketplace, their effects on the customer journey remain complex and underexplored. This thesis addresses this gap through three distinct but complementary research projects. The first project synthesizes prior findings through meta-analytic structural equation modeling and hierarchical linear modeling on data from 126 independent samples (N = 36,386) to examine the influence of four core AR and VR attributes (presence, immersion, vividness, and interactivity) on customer journey outcomes. The findings reveal that these attributes have differential effects: immersion most strongly improves prepurchase outcomes, vividness supports purchase outcomes, and presence, together with interactivity, enhances post-purchase outcomes. These effects are further moderated by distinct customer, product, retailer, interface, and time related factors. The second project explores the potential dark side of AR through three experimental studies. It demonstrates that while AR can enhance the shopping experience, it also elevates consumer expectations. When these expectations are not met, AR amplifies feelings of regret, leading to a higher likelihood of product returns. The study also identifies social proof as a key moderator that can mitigate this negative effect. The third project examines the influence of VR in the high stakes context of online auctions. Using a mixed method approach that combines large scale secondary data analysis of 47,831 property auctions with a controlled online experiment, this study finds that VR previews significantly increase bidders' willingness to pay. This effect is mediated by an enhanced sense of psychological ownership and is amplified under conditions of high social competition. Collectively, by integrating meta analytic, experimental, and field data methodologies, this thesis provides a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of how AR and VR technologies shape consumer perceptions, decisions, and behaviors in online commerce. The findings offer significant theoretical contributions to the literature on immersive technologies, psychological ownership, consumer psychology, and online retailing, along with actionable insights for practitioners seeking to strategically deploy AR and VR to optimize customer experience.

Date of Award	15 Jul 2026
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Nottingham
Supervisor	Russa Yuan (Supervisor), Bo Huang (Supervisor) & Ruolan Chen (Supervisor)