Do atmospheric cues matter in live streaming e-commerce? An eye-tracking investigation

This study developed a stimulus-organism-response (SOR) framework based on the cognitive load theory to investigate the influencing mechanisms of atmospheric cues, such as background visual complexity (BVC) and music tempo (MT), in customers' live-streaming shopping. To test these hypotheses, a laboratory experiment was conducted using eye tracking. The experiment had a 3 (BVC: high vs. medium vs. low) x 3 (MT: fast vs. slow vs. no) within-subject factor design. The outcomes indicate that both BVC and MT significantly affect the participants' arousal states, which in turn influences their behavioral intentions. Specifically, high arousal was triggered among participants when they were viewing live streams with complex background images and fast-tempo background music. The results also indicate that high BVC induces less intrinsic cognitive load, which is positively correlated with purchase intention and continuous watching intention.