33 Chapter 2 that interactivity has a positive effect on self-agency (b = 1.79, SE = .26, 95% CI: [1.28 to 2.30]), and self-agency has a positive effect on impulse-buying urges (b = .25, SE = .06, 95% CI: [.12 to .37]). Subsequently, there is an indirect effect of interactivity through self-agency on impulse-buying urges (b = .44, SE = .12, 95% CI: [.21 to .69], effect size PM = .14). Experiment 2b also shows an effect of interactivity on self-agency (b = 1.38, SE = .24, 95% CI: [.92 to 1.85]), and of self-agency on impulse-buying urges (b = .31, SE = .06, 95% CI: [.19 to .43]). Again, an indirect effect of interactivity on impulse-buying urges through self-agency was found (b = .43, SE = .13, 95% CI: [.21 to .70], effect size PM = .14). See Table 3 for the means. Discussion. Experiments 2a and 2b, similar to Experiment 1, show no direct effect of interactivity but do show an indirect effect of interactivity on impulse-buying urges through self-agency. Experiments 2a and 2b find the same pattern for impulse-visit urges in PROCESS, namely, a positive indirect effect of interactivity through self-agency on impulse-visit urges. This result was not observed in Experiment 1, which may be attributed to its slightly smaller sample size compared to the sample sizes of the other two experiments. This reasoning seems plausible as the mediation effect of interactivity on impulse-visit urges through self-agency in Experiment 1 was close to significant (95% CI: [-.01 to .76]). Conclusion Interactive screens in stores are on the rise and could help retailers strengthen their competitive positions (Pantano, 2016). This study examines the extent to which interactive screens in a clothing store’s window enhance impulse-visit urges and impulse-buying urges of passers-by, and what mediates this effect. We performed three field experiments: Experiment 1 was partially explorative, Experiment 2a was confirmative, and in Experiment 2b replicated the second experiment, to ensure the reliability of the results (McEwan et al., Westerman 2018). We showed, for the first time, that self-agency functions as an underlying mechanism that explains the positive effect of interactivity on impulse-visit and impulse-buying urges. Theoretical Implications This study examined the effects of interacting with a digital screen in a real-life shopping environment, a physical store. Previous studies on interactivity mostly focused on (experimental) online settings (e.g., Kim and LaRose, 2004; Lee, 2005; Macias, 2003). Surprisingly, previous studies on interactivity scarcely investigated the effects on impulse-visit urges and impulse-buying urges. Furthermore, self-agency has not been studied before as a possible mediator in the effect of interactivity on impulse buying. Therefore, this paper also contributes to the literature by providing insights into the underlying impulse-buying mechanisms. Following this, we responded to the notion that the inner psychological states impulse buying derives from are complex and not yet totally clear (Pham et al., 2017). General Discussion
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjY0ODMw