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Experiential value and domain-specific innovativeness during freemium game usage: effects on child well-being

Wagner Junior Ladeira (University Vale do Rio dos Sinos, São Leopoldo, Brazil)
Fernando Oliveira de Santini (UNISINOS, Porto Alegre, Brazil)
Claudio Hoffmann Sampaio (Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil)
Clecio Falcao Araujo (PUC/RS, Porto Alegre, Brazil)

Young Consumers

ISSN: 1747-3616

Article publication date: 18 April 2016

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Abstract

Purpose

In specifically examining uses of freemium applications for children, this study aims to investigate the effects on user well-being after the experiential value by examining the influence of experiential value in terms of domain-specific innovativeness; the impact of domain-specific innovativeness in terms of child well-being; the moderating role of child socialization; and the relevance of contextual variables associated with media exposure during freemium game use.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is based on a survey of children who had downloaded freemium games on their smartphones. A total of 410 completed questionnaires were collected from children of 9 to 12 years of age. Confirmatory factor analyses and structural equation models were applied to examine and test the study hypotheses.

Findings

The results indicate that experiential value influences domain-specific innovativeness; domain-specific innovativeness is a significant predictor of well-being; parental materialism and communication with friends significantly moderates domain-specific innovativeness and well-being; and contextual variables do not influence the model.

Practical implications

Public policy managers should be cognizant of these results and should make every effort to prevent the identified relationships from becoming too strong, given the strong effect of domain-specific innovativeness on child well-being.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the extant literature by incorporating experiential value and domain-specific innovativeness variables within a comprehensive model and by accounting for the effects of relevant contextual variables and the moderating role of child socialization.

Keywords

Citation

Junior Ladeira, W., Oliveira de Santini, F., Hoffmann Sampaio, C. and Araujo, C.F. (2016), "Experiential value and domain-specific innovativeness during freemium game usage: effects on child well-being", Young Consumers, Vol. 17 No. 1, pp. 64-77. https://doi.org/10.1108/YC-07-2015-00538

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2016, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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