Investment model of commitment to parasocial interaction and purchase intention among beauty youtuber followers

Abstract

Internet celebrities, such as Youtuber, have become an important figure in influencing purchase intention among viewers. This effect was linked to the parasocial interaction, which is prominently studied in communication and marketing fields. This research aimed to broaden this link by using a social psychological theory. Thus, the purpose of this research was to examine the effect of commitment (according to the Investment Model of Commitment Processes) and parasocial interaction on purchase intention of endorsed beauty products. Data were collected using internet-based survey from 181 participants, who were (1) Youtube users i.e., having Youtube accounts, (2) subscribing to a channel owned by a beauty Youtuber and (3) able to name one beauty Youtuber that they subscribed to. Results from the Structural Equation Modelling analysis using R indicated that parasocial interaction significantly predicted purchase intention directly, while the effect of commitment on purchase intention was not significant. Moreover, commitment to parasocial interaction with beauty Youtuber was found to be predicted negatively by investment size. Quality of alternatives and satisfaction level were found to be unrelated to predicting commitment.