Augmented reality and consumer well-being in retailing: A SEM–ANN analysis

Augmented reality (AR) research has primarily focused on adoption and purchase outcomes, while its implications for consumer well-being remain insufficiently understood. Drawing on the stimulus–organism–response framework, this study addresses this gap by examining how AR design attributes shape experiential and psychological states that determine hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. Data from 332 AR retail users were analyzed using “partial least squares structural equation modeling†(PLS-SEM) and “artificial neural networks†(ANN) to capture linear relationships and predictive patterns. The findings show that psychological mechanisms play a central role in translating AR interactions into enhanced well-being, with augmentation quality exerting the strongest overall influence among design attributes. Hedonic well-being strengthens eudaimonic well-being, while need for affect and cognition produce selective moderation effects. The ANN results reveal a different ordering of predictor importance compared with the PLS-SEM findings. These insights advance AR theory and offer guidance for designing well-being-oriented immersive retail technologies.