Technology consumer behaviour: a study of hedonic/utilitarian preference via virtual space

In this article, we analysed consumers' buying intention regarding integrated products in the virtual space, by exploring the interaction between utilitarian/hedonic characteristics and usage predictions. We based our analysis on data collected through four different experiments applied to 122 students of different courses at a university in the north of Brazil. The product studied was a digital reader (or 'e-reader'), which had recently integrated various services and devices into its overall structure. The factors that directly influence the choice and use of the product were examined, with purchase intention quantified in terms of fun, wellbeing, satisfaction, perceived value, utility, and importance related to the product, which, ultimately, justify the behaviour of technology consumers. As the integration of services increases, the hedonic and utilitarian value of the product purchased through e-commerce also increases; complementarily, consumers' usage predictions were found to be greater than their current use of existing products, and this is used to justify their purchases.