Title: Influence of motivation and vlogger characteristics on information adoption: the mediating role of flow experience

Authors: Neha Zaidi; Ajay Kumar; Pallavi Tyagi; Vandana Ahuja

Addresses: School of Management, Bennett University, India ' Sharda School of Business Studies, Sharda University, Greater Noida, India ' Amity College of Commerce and Finance, Amity University, Noida, India ' Symbiosis Institute of Business Management-Noida, Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Pune, India

Abstract: This study investigates the influence of motivation and vlogger characteristics on information adoption through parasocial interaction (PSI) and flow experience. Further, the impact of parasocial interaction on flow experience and information adoption has been studied. The study considers hedonic and utilitarian motivation and four vlogger characteristics (physical attractiveness, expertise, trustworthiness and homophily) as influencing factors of parasocial interaction which leads to information adoption. A sample of 254 respondents was analysed. The result shows that both hedonic and utilitarian motivations have a significant positive influence on parasocial interaction. Moreover, vloggers' attributes, trustworthiness, expertise and homophily significantly influence parasocial interaction. Homophily and expertise are the strongest predictors of parasocial interaction. However, physical attractiveness has shown an insignificant influence on PSI. The study's findings will assist marketers in selecting the most motivational and influential vloggers and in designing suitable content to engage with customers and affect their purchase decisions.

Keywords: parasocial interaction; PSI; information adoption; motivation; flow experience; influencer marketing.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2026.152927

International Journal of Internet Marketing and Advertising, 2026 Vol.24 No.3, pp.296 - 317

Received: 15 Jul 2023
Accepted: 06 Oct 2023
Published online: 15 Apr 2026 *

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