What the study found
The study found that trust and anticipation help explain consumer delight, which the authors define as a combination of joy and surprise. In the online gaming reviews they analyzed, hedonic attributes (pleasure-related features) and utilitarian attributes (usefulness-related features) both strengthened trust.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors conclude that the findings clarify the psychological mechanisms underlying delight. They also say the results offer guidance for strategically using design elements to enhance engagement and build stronger consumer relationships.
What the researchers tested
The researchers developed and tested a stimulus–organism–response (S-O-R) model, a framework linking external stimuli to internal states and then to responses. They analyzed 2,409,631 consumer reviews from a major digital gaming platform.
What worked and what didn't
Hedonic and utilitarian attributes significantly strengthened trust. Trust, in turn, increased anticipation and delight, and anticipation also positively affected delight. Trust fully mediated the effects of hedonic and utilitarian stimuli on delight.
What to keep in mind
The abstract does not describe limitations in detail. The summary also focuses on consumer reviews from one major digital gaming platform, so the scope described here is limited to that setting.
Key points
- The study defines consumer delight as a fusion of joy and surprise.
- Hedonic and utilitarian attributes both strengthened trust in the gaming review data.
- Trust increased both anticipation and delight.
- Anticipation also positively affected delight.
- Trust fully mediated the effects of hedonic and utilitarian stimuli on delight.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Trust and anticipation help explain consumer delight in gaming reviews
- Authors:
- Pei-Yu Chien, Christopher White
- Institutions:
- National Tsing Hua University, RMIT University
- Publication date:
- 2026-03-10
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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