Purpose

This study aims to examine vicarious consumption (VC) via the video-game streaming platform Twitch. The authors posit that watching someone play can offer the same enjoyment (measured through emotional experience, mood and joy) as playing.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed-methods approach was used. A qualitative phase involving semistructured qualitative interviews, naturalistic inquiry and netnography generated testable hypotheses, which were tested using a two-condition, between-subjects field experiment.

Findings

This research advances the understanding of vicarious and experiential consumption by finding evidence that VC can produce the same levels of emotional experience, mood, attitude toward the product, joy, brand community loyalty and positive word of mouth. It also demonstrates the moderating effect of familiarity on mood change.

Research limitations/implications

This research demonstrates evidence that VC can offer outcomes similar to active consumption (AC). The authors advance research on VC in a new context (video-game livestreaming vs esports and other contexts) and from a new perspective (viewing motivations vs consumer-oriented outcomes). This research thus presents opportunities to explore these and other affective, behavior and cognitive outcomes in other contexts.

Practical implications

To reach Twitch users, marketers must understand how and why media consumers watch. This research provides insight into the community necessary to create effective advertising.

Originality/value

Building upon Sjöblom and Hamari, focusing on motivations for VC of esports and other related works, the authors expand the context to video-game livestreaming as a whole and examine affective, behavioral and cognitive outcomes compared with AC. Though VC has been researched and conceptualized theoretically, empirical testing is rare. This research offers empirical evidence that VC can offer the same levels of enjoyment as AC.

中文翻译：

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我们为什么会抽搐？游戏直播中的替代消费

目的

本研究旨在通过视频游戏流媒体平台 Twitch 检验替代消费 (VC)。作者认为，观看某人玩耍可以提供与玩耍相同的享受（通过情感体验、心情和快乐来衡量）。

设计/方法论/途径

使用了混合方法。定性阶段涉及半结构化定性访谈、自然主义调查和网络志，产生可检验的假设，并使用两种条件、受试者间现场实验进行测试。

发现

这项研究通过发现证据表明 VC 可以产生相同水平的情感体验、心情、对产品的态度、快乐、品牌社区忠诚度和积极的口碑，从而增进了对替代性和体验式消费的理解。它还证明了熟悉度对情绪变化的调节作用。

研究局限性/影响

这项研究证明，VC 可以提供与主动消费 (AC) 类似的结果。作者在新的背景下（视频游戏直播与电子竞技和其他背景）和新的视角（观看动机与消费者导向的结果）推进了风险投资的研究。因此，这项研究提供了在其他背景下探索这些和其他情感、行为和认知结果的机会。

实际影响

为了吸引 Twitch 用户，营销人员必须了解媒体消费者观看的方式和原因。这项研究提供了对创建有效广告所需的社区的深入了解。

原创性/价值

在 Sjöblom 和 Hamari 的基础上，作者重点关注电子竞技 VC 和其他相关作品的动机，将背景扩展到整个视频游戏直播，并检查与 AC 相比的情感、行为和认知结果。尽管风险投资已经在理论上得到了研究和概念化，但实证检验却很少。这项研究提供的经验证据表明，VC 可以提供与 AC 相同水平的享受。