Research Survey: Influence Mechanism of User-Generated Content (UGC) on University Students' Online Purchase Intention

Are you currently a university student?

Do you actively use social media?

Have you ever purchased a product/service online?

Which country are you from?

Which social media platforms do you use most?

How much time do you spend on social media daily?

On average, how many times per day do you encounter product-related posts or reviews created by other users (not brands) on social media?

How likely do you pay attention to user reviews or posts before purchasing a product/service?

This section will ask about your experiences with User-Generated Content (UGC). UGC refers to any content, including reviews, photos, or videos, that is created by everyday users or customers rather than brands/endorsements.

UGC provides useful information about products

UGC helps me understand product quality

I often rely on other users' reviews when shopping

This section would like to know how you perceive the information shared by other users. Please indicate your level of agreement regarding the usefulness and reliability of these reviews and photos when you are shopping.

I trust product information shared by others

Seeing photos/videos from real users reduces my worry about the product being different from the official brand photos

This section addresses the "Persuasion Knowledge," or the ability to spot marketing tactics. Sometimes, user posts are part of a marketing strategy. This section asks about your Persuasion Awareness, your ability to recognize when a post might be a paid advertisement or a sponsored endorsement versus an organic review.

I can easily distinguish between an organic user review and a “paid” endorsement (Sponsorship)

I am aware that some users are incentivized (given free products/money) to post positive reviews about a product/service.

I question the intentions behind product recommendations

Beyond the facts, this section is interested in how the contents make you feel. The following statements focus on your emotional reactions, such as excitement or hesitation, when you encounter online user reviews.

I feel excited when I discover a product through a user's post

Positive UGC makes me feel confident about the brand

Negative reviews make me feel hesistant

This section measures how much importance you place on the opinions of the online community. It's not about a specific product, but rather how much you let 'popular opinion' and other users' voices guide your general shopping mindset.

I am influenced by what others say about products

I consider popular opinions before purchasing

I am more likely to buy products recommended by other users

These last statements ask about the result: your actual likelihood of buying. We want to know if seeing user content moves you past just 'thinking' about a product and into the stage of being ready to purchase it.

I am more likely to purchase a product if I have seen it featured in posts from other users