When does augmented reality promote individual affordance? The effect of technology and user characteristics on an augmented Airbnb

Purpose Hospitality technology research underscores aligning features with user capacity. This study tests whether augmented reality (AR) characteristics (information enhancement, vividness, interactivity) raise perceived value at the post-check-in stage of peer-to-peer lodging and whether users’ information overload acts as a boundary condition. Affordance theory frames how feature–user alignments convert AR functionality into valued outcomes. Design/methodology/approach A two-wave online survey (N = 279; = 1-week lag) used a video-based Airbnb AR guestbook scenario. Constructs were measured with validated scales; confirmatory factor analysis established reliability/validity. structural equation modeling tested main and moderated effects; quadratic terms probed nonlinearity. Procedural/statistical remedies addressed common-method bias; controls included spatial presence, AR novelty and prior AR experience. Findings All three AR attributes positively predicted perceived value (R2 = 0.40). Information overload strengthened the information enhancement–value link and weakened the vividness–value link. The overload × interactivity term was not significant; a post-hoc test revealed a nonlinear, inverted-U moderation, with interactivity contributing most at moderate overload and attenuating at high overload. Practical implications Load-aware AR design is advised: structure, filter, and sequence content; layer vivid media through progressive disclosure and tune interactive controls to inferred load states. For peer-to-peer lodging, AR guestbooks should prioritize task-diagnostic guidance and optional depth, improving usability, word-of-mouth and revisit intentions while avoiding feature bloat. Originality/value Positions information overload as an actionable boundary condition that differentially governs AR attribute–value links and uncovers a nonlinear moderation for interactivity. Integrates affordance theory with limited-capacity and technostress perspectives, providing a template for evaluating and designing cognition-sensitive AR services in tourism and hospitality.