Page 44 - IJSA, Vol. 4, No 2, 2021

International Journal of Science Annals, Vol. 4, No. 2, 2021
рrint ISSN: 2617-2682; online ISSN: 2707-3637; DOI:10.26697/ijsa

Results were so varied. First, the distress showed a (exception for a positive and significant impact on value
positive and significant effect on hedonic shopping motivation).
motivations (exception of the role dimension). In When it comes to the impact of hedonic shopping
addition, the excessiveness showed only a strong effect motivations on online shopping enjoyment, results also
on the gratitude dimension of hedonic shopping seem to be mixed. Seeking gratification and adventure
motivation. Both of these effects confirm the proposed leads to online shopping enjoyment. However, as
hypothesis supposing a positive effect of cyberchondria bargaining hunters, these shoppers cannot find pleasure
on the hedonic shopping motivations. This confirms in the online context.
partially the fact that excessive health-related anxiety The fourth model (Model 4) was a second full mediation
and its relative distress may lead to a search for reducing model (no direct effect on online shopping enjoyment
the stress and for releasing the pressure. However, the and everything is mediated by the COVID-19 fear). This
compulsiveness showed a significant and negative effect model had demonstrated a significant mediating effect
on the adventure, social and value motivations in the of fear (standardized total effect=0.867; p=0.000). The
shopping. This was also the case of reassurance which cyberchondria has also a strong direct effect on COVID-
showed a negative impact on gratitude, role and idea 19 fear (e.g. λ excessiveness on the fear=0.381;
p=0.000) (Table 4, Table 5).

Table 4
The Impact of Cyberchondria on the Fear from COVID-19
The tested hypothesis Hypothesis Estimates Standardized RW P
FEAR <--- EXC H4a 0.469 0.381 ***
FEAR <--- COM H4b 0.227 0.224 ***
FEAR <--- DIS H4c 0.329 0.294 ***
FEAR <--- REA H4d 0.064 0.063 0.149
SHOPENJ <--- FEAR H5 0.608 0.658 ***
Note. ***sig=0.000.

Table 5
Testing the Mediating Effect of Fear of COVID-19 (Model 4)
The Mediating effect DIS COM EXC REA FEAR
Standardized FEAR 0.182*** 0.109*** 0.270*** -0.009* –
direct effects SHOPENJ – – – – 0.597***
Standardized SHOPENJ 0.121*** 0.072*** 0.179*** -0.006* –
indirect effects
Note. ***sig=0.000; *sig<0.050.

The model estimates the interactive effect of Discussion
cyberchondria and COVID-19 fear on online shopping Our results indicate that during the current pandemic,
enjoyment (H4 a, b, c and d) while controlling for the cyberchondria is becoming a fact as it occurs among non-
direct effect of each variable. A bootstrapping technique clinically diagnosed people. Regarding potential effects
was used to calculate confidence intervals around on consumers’ behavior, this study was the first to find
indirect effect estimates, with confidence intervals that that the cyberchondria was associated with an increased
exclude zero providing evidence of a mediation effect online shopping enjoyment guided both by a developed
(Preacher & Hayes, 2008; Zhao et al., 2010). fear from this virus and hedonic motivations. In
The results from each analysis are presented in Table 5. particular, this study found strong and positive
The table is organized such that the direct and interactive correlations between the cyberchondria and the fear from
effects of cyberchondria and COVID-19 fear on online COVID-19. However, only two dimensions could be
shopping enjoyment are shown first. considered as antecedents for hedonic shopping
Study results support H4 and H5, as the cyberchondria motivations namely the distress and the excessiveness.
and COVID-19 fear interaction have a positive and To reduce the general health anxiety and the excessive
significant effect on online shopping enjoyment (see worry about ones’ health, these findings may indicate
Table 5). This indicates that during the current COVID- starting points for some business and marketing
19 pandemic, the relationship between COVID-19 fear interventions in times of a virus outbreak. Commercial
and online shopping enjoyment grows significantly websites provide messages regarding the free of risk
stronger as individuals are becoming more anxious about context that they are offering during the COVID-19
their health. To conclude, we may assume that online crisis. Cyberchondriacs may use them to acquire
shopping enjoyment is mainly guided by fear rather than effective emotional coping. Furthermore, in order to
hedonic shopping motivations (avoidance rather than demonstrate that online shopping may be considered as a
approaching). Consumers are going online guided by the safe space, where anxious people may escape, businesses
fear to be contaminated and by searching for a safer should elucidate clear pathways of action so that
shopping context. consumers feel empowered to tackle the pandemic
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