Title: 'Be congruent' vs. 'be diverse'? The effect of basic app types on the intent to upgrade incremental functions

Authors: Youjia Zhang; Xiaoqin Wang

Addresses: International Business School, Hainan University, No. 58, People's Avenue, Haikou, 570228, China ' Department of Marketing, Business School, Nankai University, No. 94, Weijin Road, Tianjin, 300071, China

Abstract: This study examines how basic app types (utilitarian vs. hedonic) influence users' intent to upgrade when incremental functions with congruent or incongruent goals are introduced. We employ a multi-method approach, including laboratory experiments, simulated real-world experiments, and online surveys (via Credamo), to ensure robust and reliable findings. Across four studies, we find that users exhibit a higher intent to upgrade when utilitarian incremental functions are added to a utilitarian app. However, for hedonic apps, users' upgrade intent does not significantly differ based on whether the added functions are utilitarian or hedonic (studies 1 and 2). Further, cognitive flexibility mediates these effects (study 3), and the frequency of basic app usage moderates the preference for congruent vs. incongruent incremental functions (study 4). These findings contribute to the literature on usage frequency by examining its role in upgrade decisions and provide practical insights into enhancing user satisfaction post-download.

Keywords: app type; upgrade intent; cognitive flexibility; usage frequency; incremental features.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMC.2026.154078

International Journal of Mobile Communications, 2026 Vol.27 No.4, pp.369 - 389

Accepted: 22 Apr 2025
Published online: 11 Jun 2026 *

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