Exploring The Influence Of Viewers Engagement In Live Shopping: A Study On The Impact Of Skepticism And Perceived Emotional Value On Purchase Intention

. The primary aim of this study is to investigate how viewer engagement during live streaming shopping impacts consumer skepticism, perceived emotional value, and purchase intention. Utilizing the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) Partial Least Squares (PLS) method, we analyzed survey data gathered from consumers actively involved in the live streaming e-commerce scene in Indonesia. .The research findings indicate significant support for the proposed hypotheses. Viewer engagement is proven to have a positive impact on consumer skepticism levels and significantly contributes to the enhancement of perceived emotional value. However, interesting findings emerge when consumer skepticism levels do not significantly influence their purchase intentions. On the contrary, perceived emotional value has a significant positive impact on purchase intention. Practical implications of this research involve expanding marketing strategies that focus on increasing viewer engagement and providing strong emotional value to encourage consumer purchase intentions during live streaming shopping sessions. This research contributes to the understanding of consumer dynamics in the context of live streaming e-commerce and provides guidance for companies to optimize customer interactions and sales outcomes.


INTRODUCTION
Amidst the rapid changes in the digital era, characterized by the swift dissemination of information, businesses now primarily use social media to actively engage with their target audiences.According International Telecommunication Union.2022 there are more than 5 billion consumers with internet access, reflecting that in the present era, the population of internet-connected consumers has reached a staggering figure.They have access to various online sources of information, such as blogs, product review sites, and social media platforms [2].Online media, such as news websites or social media platforms, attract an audience actively engaging in accessing and consuming media content.The difference is that this audience has the ability to control how quickly or slowly they want to consume such content [3], [4].Social media not only functions as a digital platform for consumers to communicate and share their daily lives but has also evolved into a channel through which consumers can make clothing, food, and daily necessities purchases through online marketing channels [5].The online shopping experience involves the integration of real-time video and streaming by presenting live videos to customers, allowing users to experience products more directly and interactively [6].
Live shopping is used to showcase the product creation and usage process, demonstrate various perspectives of the product, answer customer questions directly, and organize live activities that entertain and encourage customers to make spontaneous purchases [7].In the Indonesian market, as many as 78% of consumers have heard and are aware of alternative shopping through Live Shopping broadcasts; of this number, approximately 71% of consumers have accessed such services, indicating a significant level of adoption.During the pandemic, 56% of consumers admitted to making product purchases through live broadcasts [8].With an increasing number of practitioners entering the live shopping e-commerce industry, there is a greater variety of themes, styles, and types of live broadcasts.This diversification, in turn, broadens consumer attention.Interpersonal interaction in live e-commerce broadcasts has facilitated effective communication between e-commerce hosts and consumers, acting as a catalyst for consumer transactions [9].The interactive relationship between consumers and e-commerce hosts is commonly referred to as Viewers Engagement.
http://ijstm.inarah.co.id 577 Viewers engagement or Customer engagement is how customer behavior towards a brand or company emerges after a purchase, stemming from motivating factors [10].The effect of viewers engagement significantly influences consumer purchasing intentions; therefore, this research aims to explore whether consumers are interested or skeptical about viewers engagement in live shopping.The objectives of this research include an in-depth analysis of consumer perceptions of Viewers Engagement in live ecommerce broadcasts, with a focus on its influence on purchase decisions.Additionally, this study aims to identify factors influencing the level of consumer engagement in live shopping interactions.While previous research has provided insights into consumer behavior in the context of live shopping, there are still gaps in understanding how Viewers Engagement specifically affects consumer preferences and purchase decisions.Therefore, this research is expected to fill these knowledge gaps and provide valuable contributions to the development of marketing strategies in the live shopping e-commerce industry in Indonesia.

Viewers Engagement
The level of customers engagement, encompassing the extent to which viewers are involved, participate, and interact during live streaming sessions, is an approach to Viewers Engagement [11].Consumers can choose to follow the advice or recommendations of broadcasters considered as influential figures or make purchase decisions based on what is seen and acknowledged by other audience groups [12].This engagement behavior occurs and is expressed in various ways in the live broadcast space, where customer engagement behavior is integrated through interactions in a service system.Viewers engagement includes the extent to which customers or potential customers interact and connect with products [13].In related research on social media, engagement is often reflected through various behaviors such as giving likes, comments, and sharing content [14].However, the presence of a larger audience not only encourages more intensive consumer interactions but also increases the probability of the bandwagon effect, especially if a large number of viewers or customers are considered indicators of trust or quality.Furthermore, when consumers doubt the information provided by sellers or online advertisements, they tend to seek opinions or feedback from people they consider trustworthy, including friends or even strangers, to help them make decisions [12], [15].

Skepticism
Skepticism refers to a critical attitude or doubt that may arise in an individual towards specific information, ideas, or events [16].Skepticism is considered a crucial component of consumer persuasion knowledge and general beliefs about how the market operates [17].Skepticism can also be defined as doubt regarding how effective an initiative or marketing effort can achieve its goals [18].Consumers with higher persuasive understanding are likely to experience greater satisfaction with their purchases, and they are expected to have better abilities in discerning crucial from less important information [19].Conversely, less skeptical consumers may not delve as deeply into message content, making peripheral route elements, such as the use of celebrity endorsers, potentially more effective in influencing advertising effectiveness [20].When the level of viewers engagement reaches a certain point, it can lead customers to avoid it [21].Present-day consumers are increasingly skeptical of marketing and advertising and are also more likely to connect with a brand when they have a pleasant experience with it [22].Therefore, skepticism is a factor that can act as a barrier affecting the Purchase Intent in live shopping, and skeptical consumers influence their environmental perceptions, leading people to adopt certain consumer behaviors.H1.Viewers Engagement positively influences Skepticism.

Perceived Emotional Value
Emotional Value reflects the emotional satisfaction obtained by an individual from performing a kind act for someone else.It can be explained as "the perceived utility value that arises from the alternative's ability to evoke feeling so raffective states" [23].Emotional Value refers to the trust established on an emotional basis between the trustor and trustee.It involves the welfare of the trustor, takes into account the trustor's goals and intentions, and depends on effective communication [24].When consumers experience or perceive emotional value from a product or service, it tends to enhance their desire or intention to make a purchase [25].H2.Viewers Engagement positively influences Perceived Emotional Value http://ijstm.inarah.co.id 578

Purchase Intention
Customers who are satisfied with their experience in doing business with a company are more likely to repurchase products or use services from that company [26].Purchase intention reflects an individual's intention or desire to make a purchase based on cognitive considerations [27].The feelings or emotions experienced by consumers can impact the extent to which they intend to purchase a [28].When broadcasters provide timely information about products and respond promptly to customer questions or requests, it is not only beneficial during the customer's purchasing process but may also have a positive impact on other aspects or stages of the customer journey [29], [30].With a high level of engagement, customers tend to be more actively involved, have a more positive experience, and can be better guided during their purchasing journey [31].H3.Skepticism negatively influences Purchase Intention H4.Perceived Emotional Value positively influences Purchase Intention.

II. METHODS Research Model and Data Collection Procedure
This study adopts an explanatory design with the aim of explaining the factors influencing the occurrence of an event and constructing or testing a theory.A field survey approach is used for this research.Respondents, who are consumers of live shopping, are asked to provide information about their habits with the utilized live shopping.Furthermore, they are also questioned about the associations between Viewers Engagement, Skepticism, and Perceived Emotional Value to determine Purchase Intention using questions from previous research [32], [33].The convenience sampling technique is employed, and customers fill out a self-administered survey.The survey is distributed electronically using the Google Forms platform, allowing respondents to choose to fill out the form online.

Measurement and Data Analysis
The measurement scale for all variables is derived from previous studies.In this research, questionnaires or surveys are employed to determine the variables.The questionnaire is used to collect data from respondents with predefined questions.Variables are measured using a questionnaire that has been translated into Indonesian, using a Likert scale consisting of "1 = Strongly Disagree," "2 = Disagree," "3 = Neutral," "4 = Agree," and "5 = Strongly Agree.".Since the initial questions in the questionnaire were originally in English, translation into simplified Indonesian was necessary to align with the research objectives.The translation process was conducted in three stages [34].The survey was translated into simplified Bahasa Indonesia by two individuals who are fluent in both languages.Following this, another bilingual individual translated it back into English.To guarantee the precision and clarity of the translated scale, three bilingual students conducted a comparison between the original and translated versions to identify any differences.The study shows that most people who filled out the questionnaire were women, making up 73.30% of the respondents.This indicates that women were the dominant group in the study.When delving deeper into generational aspects, the data shows significant dominance of Generation Z among consumers using Live Shopping, reaching 55.68%.This finding indicates a strong affinity for Live Shopping within this age group, highlighting a crucial market segment for providers to consider in their strategic planning.When http://ijstm.inarah.co.id 580 shifting to the selection of Live Shopping platforms, TikTok seems to be the most favored, garnering preferences from 54.55% of the respondents.TikTok's success in attracting consumer interest in Live Shopping reflects a growing trend in leveraging social media platforms for more interactive and engaging shopping experiences.Furthermore, the pattern of frequency of participation in Live Shopping provides additional insights.The majority of respondents reported watching Live Shopping 1-2 times per week, reaching 7.14%.Additionally, the average frequency of purchases in Live Shopping in the last year shows that more than 30% of respondents made purchases less frequently than every 6 months.This reflects that Live Shopping has become an engaging and relevant shopping experience.

Measurement model Validity and Reliability Test
Validity test is used to evaluate how well a research instrument can measure the constructs used.In this context, the focus of the validity test is on content validity.Content validity indicates that each measured item adequately and representatively covers a particular concept [37].When evaluating our measurement model, we utilize the advanced approach of Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM).This technique is specifically designed to analyze composite and exploratory models that frequently contend with a less robust theoretical foundation.In this testing process, attention is directed towards the values of Cronbach's alpha, Composite Reliability (CR), and Average Variance Extracted (AVE) for each indicator.SmartPLS sets a standard that each indicator should have a minimum value of 0.70 [38].Validity is tested by evaluating the Outer Loading values from the data analysis using the SmartPLS application.From the test results documented in Table 3, it can be seen that the Outer Loading values range from 0.761 to 0.924.These results meet the validity criteria set in the previous research [38].The R-Square values are considered strong if they exceed 0.67, moderate if they are greater than 0.33 but less than 0.67, and weak if they are greater than 0.19 but less than 0.33 [39].Based on the results listed in Table 5 above, it can be concluded that the Skepticism and Purchase Intention variables fall into the moderate category, and the Perceived Emotional Value falls into the weak category.
Hypotheses Testing Results

Table 6. Results of hypotheses testing
After measuring reliability and validity in the measurement model, the proposed hypotheses underwent testing using the bootstrap technique, involving 5000 bootstrap resamples with bias correction.The evaluation of results was based on key metrics such as beta values, t-values, p-values, explained variance (r-squared), and effect size coefficients (f-squared).It is important to note the interpretation of effect size, where values exceeding 0.02, 0.15, and 0.35 are classified as weak, moderate, and strong effects, respectively.In simpler terms, we analyzed the hypothesis testing results by looking at important measures.This helped us understand the relationships and influences within the research model.
The data analysis results using the SEM PLS method showed significant support for all proposed research hypotheses.Hypotheses H1, H2, H3, and H4, each linking specific variables in the model, consistently received strong support from the data.The p-values for each hypothesis were as follows: H1, H2, and H4 had a value of 0, while H3 had a value of 0.006, indicating a low probability that this hypothesis occurred purely by chance.In statistical terms, a p-value of 0 indicates strong evidence against the null hypothesis, supporting the alternative hypothesis.These findings suggest that the model processed using SEM PLS effectively reflects and supports the relationships between variables in the context of this research.

IV. CONCLUSION
The results show significant support for all proposed hypotheses.H1, with a P-value of 0, indicates that the variable is accepted, aligning with previous findings that if a business or service provider responds to dishonest or false demands from some customers, customers may become dissatisfied or even avoid the business [40].Similarly, H2, with the same P-value of 0, indicates that the variable is significant.This result reflects findings from previous research indicating that high interaction quality from the broadcaster in the context of broadcasting or streaming, especially through timely, empathetic, and/or personal responses, can positively influence customers' perceptions of informational and emotional value [29], [41], [42].H4 also achieved significant results with P-values of 0, consistently receiving strong support from the data.Each Pvalue of 0 indicates that the hypothesis with that variable is significant/accepted with a positive relationship, aligning with the notion that when consumers experience positive flow during mobile shopping service use, it tends to enhance their positive attitudes and the tendency to make purchases [43], [44].
Meanwhile, H3 used reverse-scored items as indicators, where in the construction of the Skepticism variable, some items or questions were measured in the opposite or reverse manner, with higher values indicating that respondents tend to have a higher level of skepticism than lower values.The P-value for H3 is 0.006, indicating that this variable is not accepted.According to previous research, with the increasing use of emotional appeal in marketing communication, consumers tend to respond more positively to such marketing communication [45].Additionally, the study focuses on a specific demographic of live shopping consumers, and the findings may not be universally applicable across diverse consumer groups.Expanding the research to include a more diverse sample, considering factors such as age, cultural background, and socioeconomic status, could provide a more comprehensive understanding of live shopping dynamics.For future investigations, it would be valuable to explore the role of specific live shopping platform features or content types in influencing consumer perceptions.Understanding how different platform strategies contribute to engagement and purchase intention could inform both academic and practical implications

Table 2 .
Constructs and measurement items * Items reverse-scored for SKP; higher numbers indicate greater skepticism

Table 3 .
Validity test results

Table 4 .
Reliability Test ResultsReliability test can be conducted by evaluating the values of Composite Reliability (CR), Average Variance Extracted (AVE), and Cronbach's Alpha (CA).An item is considered reliable in reflecting a variable if it meets the standard criteria, which are CR > 0.7, AVE > 0.5, and CA > 0.6.Reliability analysis in this research is documented in Table4, indicating that the values of CR, CA, and AVE for all variables exceed the established thresholds.This signifies that all variables have successfully passed the reliability test.

Table 5 .
R-Square Test