當個人在做決策時,往往無法由自己直接判斷,通常我們會去詢問別人的意見,而這些人被稱為「參考團體」(reference group)。在過去,參考團體大多由身邊的人所組成,但是透過網際網路,我們有了一個新的選擇—虛擬社群(virtual community)。然而,當傳統實體情境中的人際互動影響移轉至網路情境中上演,在所謂的虛擬社群裡,是否會被不同的因素所影響?又或者會產生什麼不一樣的結果? 本研究從社會心理學角度出發,透過「學習理論」、「說服」與「人際吸引」等觀點,另外將「個人參與時間」此一變數加入虛擬社群中,討論其與「虛擬社群成員對於個人之人際影響」的關聯,並且尋找人際影響之前置因子。透過文獻探討,將人際影響分為資訊性與規範性兩種類型。 研究結果發現,個人與虛擬社群成員之「人際互動」,將會正向影響「個人參與虛擬社群之時間」,意即人際互動越好,個人將越容易投注較長的時間在虛擬產品社群中以維持與社群之間的聯繫。而延長個人參與虛擬社群的時間,讓社群成員們願意持續參與或是對該虛擬社群持正向的態度,極容易令社群參與者擁有所謂的社群忠誠度。 透過說服與向上社會比較,個人對於虛擬社群成員所感受的「專業度」,會正向影響資訊性以及規範性人際影響。透過人際吸引,個人對於虛擬社群成員所感受的「熟悉性」與「相似性」,會對規範性人際影響產生正向影響,同時也會有資訊性人際影響的產生。
Frequently we will ask for opinions when we could not make decision directly. The opinion provider is so-called “reference group” which is always formed by family and friends in the past. But now, the Internet brings us another new option—“virtual community”. Nevertheless, we do not exactly know the interpersonal interaction in the online environment, and question about “will the interpersonal interaction be impacted by other factors differ from the traditional face to face environment?” This study is base on social psychology to discuss the interaction between interpersonal influence and individual perceived time in virtual product community. From literature review, this study adopts the perceived expertise, familiarity, and similarity between members as the antecedents and separates the interpersonal influence into two types—informational and normative. The research finding shows that the interpersonal interaction between community members will positively influence the individual perceived time in virtual community. It means consumers will be engaged much longer in the virtual product community since the interpersonal influences exist. Once they are willing to join this long-term relation, loyalty of community will evolve easily. Through persuasion and upward social comparison, the individual perceived community members’ expertise will positively influence informational and normative interpersonal influence. Further, familiarity and similarity perceived by the individual from community members do have a positive influence on not only informational but normative influence.