An investigation into online atmospherics: The effect of animated images on emotions, cognition, and purchase intentions

While prior research on animation effects focused Web advertising, this article focuses online retailing and identifies animated images as an important atmospheric cue. Using extended Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) model, explores emotional cognitive processes. Across two studies, the findings show that compared with static images, elicit greater pleasure, which in turn induces more favorable website attitudes, lead to higher purchase intentions. Further, serial mediation effect holds across different types of products. These findings, from perspective atmospherics, deepen our understanding consumer approach-avoidance responses.