Does Peer Buyer Attractiveness in Customer-Generated Images Impact E-Commerce Apparel Purchase Intentions?

Hypothesis H3: Self-referencing mediates the effect of PBA on purchase intention. Findings revealed that medium and low PBA in CGIs reduced purchase intentions, mediated by self-referencing. CGIs offer emotional benefits by alleviating body image distress; low PBA proves most effective, while medium PBA is less so.

They also provide cognitive advantages by reducing uncertainty consistently across all PBA levels. Notably, chain-mediating effects of self-referencing and body image distress, also self-referencing and uncertainty, were identified between PBA and purchase intention. Hypothesis 4: CGIs alleviate body image distress (a); compared with those with high PBA, CGIs with medium PBA lead to higher body image distress (b), while CGIs with low PBA lead to lower body image distress (c).

Hypothesis 5: Body image distress mediates the relationship between PBA and purchase intention. Hypothesis 6: Self-referencing and body image distress plays a chain-mediating role between PBA and purchase intention. Hypothesis 7: CGIs reduce perceived uncertainty (a); CGIs with low PBA are associated with higher uncertainty than those with medium- or high PBA (b).

Hypothesis 8: Uncertainty plays a mediating role in PBA's impact on purchase intention (PI). Hypothesis 9: Self-referencing and uncertainty play a chain-mediating role between PBA and purchase intention. Findings revealed that medium and low PBA in CGIs reduced purchase intentions, mediated by self-referencing.

CGIs offer emotional benefits by alleviating body image distress; low PBA proves most effective, while medium PBA is less so. They also provide cognitive advantages by reducing uncertainty consistently across all PBA levels. Notably, chain-mediating effects of self-referencing and body image distress, also self-referencing and uncertainty, were identified between PBA and purchase intention.