Authentic experience in the metaverse: A situated cognition perspective of metaverse food festivals

Chang, Jennifer Yee-Shan, Cheah, Jun Hwa (Jacky), Lim, Xin-Jean, Lim, Weng Marc and Luo, Xi (2025) Authentic experience in the metaverse: A situated cognition perspective of metaverse food festivals. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 37 (9). pp. 2961-2979. ISSN 0959-6119

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Abstract

Anchored in embeddedness, embodiment and extension principles from situated cognition theory, this study aims to propose a model to explain customer experience in the metaverse. This study tests the proposed model using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) on usable data from 816 individuals who attended a metaverse food festival. This study demonstrates the role of authentic experiences in activating customers’ mental imagery in the metaverse. This mental imagery, in turn, enhances customers’ sense of presence, which is crucial for an immersive metaverse experience. The study also shows how this heightened sense of presence, alongside subjective well-being, plays a critical role in shaping purchase intentions, both directly and indirectly, in the metaverse. The insights suggest that prioritizing authenticity is a viable strategy for brands seeking to leverage the metaverse, as fostering enriched mental imagery and a strong sense of presence can strengthen subjective well-being and stimulate purchase intentions among customers. This study enriches understanding by establishing a model that offers a seminal explanation of customer experience in the metaverse from a situated cognition perspective supported by field data from participants of a metaverse food festival.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	authentic experience,metaverse,mental imagery,sense of presence,situated cognition
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Norwich Business School
Related URLs:	https://repository.essex.ac.uk/41486/
Depositing User:	LivePure Connector
Date Deposited:	07 Oct 2025 13:30
Last Modified:	07 Oct 2025 14:32
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/100663
DOI:	10.1108/IJCHM-10-2024-1549

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