Metaverse friends with social benefits:
Effects of social identity on the intention to purchase virtual products through site attachment, user engagement, and public self-consciousness

By prof. Minjung Park
Department of Fashion Industry
PURE Research Profile
minjungpark@ewha.ac.kr

Prof. Minjung Park’s recent work titled “Metaverse friends with social benefits: Effects of social identity on the intention to purchase virtual products through site attachment, user engagement, and public self-consciousness” was published at Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services (2024 Journal Impact Factor = 13.1, JIF Rank = 6/316 in Business). The study worked with Prof. Hyojung Kim (Kyungpook National University) and Prof. Jungmin Yoo (Duksung Women’s University).

The metaverse has emerged as a key digital environment where brands across diverse industries actively engage consumers through virtual products, immersive experiences, and celebrity-driven events. With rapid market growth and increasing consumer interest in virtual consumption, the metaverse is becoming an important retail channel, particularly as users adopt virtual goods as a means of self-expression and social interaction. Moreover, as collective identities and community dynamics are formed within these virtual spaces, social identity plays a critical role in shaping user engagement and purchase intentions, positioning the metaverse as a strategic platform for community-based brand experiences. Despite the growing importance of the metaverse as a consumption environment, empirical research examining the combined roles of social identity, site attachment, and user engagement remains limited, highlighting the need for a systematic investigation of the psychological and social mechanisms underlying virtual consumption behavior. Accordingly, this study examines digital consumption decisions by focusing on the relationship between metaverse users’ social identity and their intention to purchase virtual products, with site attachment and user engagement as mediators and public self-consciousness as a moderator.

This study collected online survey responses from 319 South Korean female metaverse users in their 20s and 30s who had prior experience purchasing fashion items on the metaverse platform Zepeto. Zepeto was selected as the research context because it is a prominent platform for social interaction. In addition, South Korea was chosen as the research setting due to its advanced digital infrastructure and high internet adoption rate, making it an appropriate context for examining metaverse-based consumption behavior. Participants completed a survey consisting of measures assessing key constructs, including metaverse users’ social identity, site attachment, purchase intention toward virtual products, and public self-consciousness. For the data analyses, a confirmatory factor analysis, the PROCESS macro Models 6 and 59 were conducted.

The results revealed a significant direct relationship between users’ social identity and their intention to purchase virtual products. While user engagement served as a significant mediator in this relationship, site attachment alone did not directly influence purchase intention. However, social identity exerted an indirect effect on purchase intention through the sequential mediation of site attachment and user engagement. Furthermore, public self-consciousness partially moderated these relationships, strengthening the influence of social identity on purchase intention by enhancing users’ emotional attachment and engagement within the metaverse. These findings suggest that while attachment to a virtual space is important, active engagement plays a more critical role in driving virtual consumption behavior.

This study makes an important theoretical contribution by integrating social identity theory and public self-consciousness theory into the context of metaverse consumption. The findings demonstrate that virtual purchasing behavior is shaped not only by technological features but also by psychological and social mechanisms embedded within digital communities. From a practical perspective, the results offer meaningful implications for virtual brand managers, suggesting that fostering community participation through interactive events, collaborative activities, and personalized experiences can strengthen users’ sense of belonging and enhance engagement. Furthermore, marketing strategies that increase users’ visibility and social recognition within the metaverse can deepen emotional attachment and stimulate purchase intention. Overall, this research underscores the importance of cultivating social connection and immersive experiences as key drivers of commercial success in digital environments.

* Related Article
Hyojung Kim, Jungmin Yoo, Minjung Park, Metaverse friends with social benefits: Effects of social identity on the intention to purchase virtual products through site attachment, user engagement, and public self-consciousness, Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 38, 2025