Understanding User's Acceptance of Social Shopping Websites: Effects of Social Comparison and Trust

摘要

Social shopping websites are among the latest developments in E-commerce to combine the power of social networking with Internet shopping to provide a unique online experience. While the adoption of information technology is well studied, new theoretical development is needed to account for the specific characteristics of social shopping websites. This study augments the TAM (Technology Acceptance Model) with social factors including an online shopper's tendency to social comparison, and trust in information privacy and data security. Results provide significant support of the extended model. Directions for future research are discussed.