Electronic word-of-mouth and consumer purchase intentions in social e-commerce

Abstract With the rise of social commerce, electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) has become an important reference for users to make purchase decisions. However, the quality of information communicated by eWOM on all major platforms is uneven, which seriously affects user trust in eWOM, and in the reputation of the platform. Therefore, from the perspective of information quality, this study adds the social psychological distance of consumers to research the effects of WOM on trust, and its further influence on purchase intentions. This research adopts a questionnaire survey method to collect data from users of Xiaohongshu. Through path analysis, the following conclusions are obtained: (1) information quality is positively associated with social psychological distance and trust; (2) social psychological distance is positively associated with trust; (3) social psychological distance mediates the relationship between information quality and trust; and (4) trust is positively associated with purchase intention. Finally, based on the research conclusions, we put forward suggestions for social e-commerce platforms. The limitations of the study and direction of future research are analyzed.