Attitudinal and Behavioral Loyalty Toward Virtual Goods

The relationship between loyalty, purchasing of virtual goods, and use behavior of mobile instant messaging (MIM) was examined. Two forms of loyalty, attitudinal and behavioral loyalty, were considered. The study tested the model where attitudinal loyalty, including electronic word of mouth and sense of belonging, led to behavioral loyalty, including purchase intention (PI) and continuation intention (CI), and then to different types of use behavior on MIM apps. The model was built upon the theory of reasoned action. The data were collected from a web-based cross-sectional survey of young Japanese adult LINE users. The results suggest that electronic word of mouth has negative association while the sense of belonging has a positive association with CIs, but no direct association with PI. Their association with use behaviors is mediated by CI. The CI have a positive association with PI. Furthermore, PI and CI correlate with the actual use behavior.