The Impact of Consumer Confusion on Chinese Consumers' Delayed Choices in Online Shopping: The Mediating Role of Negative Emotions

This study investigates the impact of consumer confusion factors, including overload confusion, ambiguity confusion, and conflict confusion, on consumers’ delayed choice within online shopping environments. Utilizing a convenience sampling method, data were gathered via online surveys from 451 Chinese participants who had engaged in online shopping and experienced decision delays during the past year. The analysis, conducted through structural equation modeling (SEM), aims to test hypotheses and develop a comprehensive model that captures complex relationships among variables. The result reveals that the consumer confusion factors including overload confusion (β=0.349), ambiguity confusion (β=0.333), and conflict confusion (β=0.248) significantly contribute to the consumers’ delayed choice. In addition, these factors also influence the generation of negative emotions during the online shopping search process (overload confusion: β=0.334; ambiguity confusion: β=0.308; conflict confusion: β=0.276). Furthermore, it was found that negative emotions (β=0.295) have a direct positive effect on the delay in purchasing decisions. Additionally, negative emotions serve as a mediating factor between consumer confusion and consumers’ delayed choice (delayed choice: β=0.245; ambiguity confusion: β=0.192; and conflict confusion: β=0.188). This research offers valuable insights for the management of online shopping platforms and vendors, suggesting that addressing conflicting messages and reducing consumer confusion are critical strategies for achieving success in the competitive online retail market.