Date of Award
5-11-2025
Date Published
June 2025
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Mass Communications
Advisor(s)
Hua Jiang
Keywords
Co-Viewer Involvement;Comparative livestream shopping;Heuristic-Systematic Model;Livestream Commerce;Persuasion Knowledge Model;Trust transfer
Subject Categories
Communication | Mass Communication | Social and Behavioral Sciences
Abstract
Livestream shopping on social media platforms represents a merging of real-time social interaction and e-commerce. This dissertation examines the divergent engagement levels of Chinese and American consumers in livestream commerce by integrating the Persuasion Knowledge Model (PKM) and the Heuristic-Systematic Model (HSM) to explain differences in trust formation and purchase behaviors. While cultural convergence theory suggests increasing similarities in digital commerce behaviors across markets, findings reveal that persuasion knowledge development, shaped by exposure to commercial persuasion attempts, creates distinct information-processing patterns that persist despite technological convergence. Through a mixed-method comparative study, this research demonstrates that Chinese consumers in a mature livestream market rely more on heuristic cues such as co-viewer involvement and product trust. In contrast, American consumers in an emerging livestream market continue to engage in dual processing with a heavier reliance on influencer credibility. These findings challenge traditional cultural explanations and propose a persuasion knowledge continuum that accounts for the shifting role of systematic processing in trust formation. By identifying key mechanisms influencing livestream shopping adoption across markets, this study contributes to the theoretical discourse on digital commerce while offering actionable insights for brands and platforms seeking to optimize their livestream strategies across technologically converging yet behaviorally distinct consumer landscapes.
Access
Open Access
Recommended Citation
Whitwam, Bryce, "Persuasion Knowledge as a Continuum: Understanding Engagement in Livestream Commerce Between China and the U.S." (2025). Dissertations - ALL. 2087.
https://surface.syr.edu/etd/2087
