Sensory Enabling Technology Acceptance Model (SE-TAM): The Usage of Sensory Enabling Technologies for Online Apparel Shopping

Abstract

This study investigates online shoppers’ adoption of visual sensory enabling technologies showing that these sensory experience enablers provide a dual role in enhancing online apparel shopping by (a) reducing perceived product risk and (b) increasing the entertainment value of the online shopping process. We proposed a sensory enabling technology acceptance model (SE-TAM) to examine this dual role of sensory experience enablers in the online apparel shopping process and tested the model for three types of sensory enabling technologies (2D larger view and alternate views, 3D rotation views, and Virtual Try-on) widely applied in online apparel retail sites. The researchers conducted a focus group interview and a pilot study with a college student sample and a main study with a national sample. The results from both pilot study and the main study supported the links between beliefs, attitudes and behavior in adoption of sensory enabling technology, thereby providing empirical validation of the proposed SE-TAM model. Impacts of technology anxiety and innovativeness on actual use of sensory enabling technologies appeared to be different by technology. Each of the sensory enabling technologies examined differed with respect to the functional and hedonic roles served with each making a unique contribution to online apparel shopping – either by reducing product risk perceptions or increasing perceived entertainment value.