title: The Rise of Virtual Athletes: The influence of uses & gratification and para-social interaction on consumers’ attitudes towards high-involvement products endorsed by micro-celebrities

authors: Matenga, Cliff Tafadzwa

subjects: para-social interaction

abstract: Many brands face the challenge of selling high-involvement products and must contend with the high risks which consumers perceive to be associated with these products. These perceived risks include social, functional and financial risks. Friedman and Friedman (1979) posit that celebrities can mitigate these perceived risks. However, current research fails to identify specific factors that influence consumers to perceive low risks to high-involvement products that are promoted by celebrities. This research suggests that consumer needs, and para-social interaction with celebrities influence consumers’ behaviour regarding high-involvement products, in this case, video gaming products. Thus, to help brands execute effective celebrity endorsement campaigns, this causal research examines the factors that influence consumers' purchase intentions towards high-involvement products endorsed by influencers in the gaming community.
Most specifically, this study examines the uses and gratification needs that drive consumers to watch, and form para-social interaction with video gaming celebrities. Furthermore, this study examines the effects that para-social interaction has on perceived social, functional and financial risks that consumers associate with high-involvement products. Moreover, the research examines the influence of these perceived risks on purchase intentions. Additionally, the study examines if video gaming influencers are as influential on non-gaming products as they are on video gaming products.
Through a judgement sampling method, 105 participants that spectate gaming influencers playing video games were asked to fill a survey. Social integrative needs, cognitive needs, affective needs and tension release needs had a positive influence on para-social interaction. However, para-social interaction only influenced consumers who had prior experience of purchasing endorsed video gaming products. For example, the findings from this research suggested that parasocial interaction influenced this group of experienced customers to perceive high risks for products that were a poor fit with the celebrity’s image. Low social, functional, and financial risks led to high purchase intentions for video gaming products that were endorsed by good fit video gaming influencers.
Interestingly, tension release needs mitigated functional risks associated with video gaming products. Cognitive needs mitigated functional risks associated with video gaming products only for consumers that had previous experience of purchasing endorsed video gaming products. Social integrative needs influenced consumers to buy non-gaming products that were endorsed by a video gaming influencer.
Video gaming influencers were more effective in influencing perceived risks and buying behaviour when they endorsed video gaming products than non-gaming products. When the influencer was a good fit, consumers perceived lower social, functional and financial risks than when they were a poor fit. Furthermore, consumers had higher purchase intentions towards a good fit product than a poor fit product. The research discusses the implications of the findings.

text: The Rise of Virtual Athletes: The influence of uses & gratification and para-social interaction on consumers’ attitudes towards high-involvement products endorsed by micro-celebrities Many brands face the challenge of selling high-involvement products and must contend with the high risks which consumers perceive to be associated with these products. These perceived risks include social, functional and financial risks. Friedman and Friedman (1979) posit that celebrities can mitigate these perceived risks. However, current research fails to identify specific factors that influence consumers to perceive low risks to high-involvement products that are promoted by celebrities. This research suggests that consumer needs, and para-social interaction with celebrities influence consumers’ behaviour regarding high-involvement products, in this case, video gaming products. Thus, to help brands execute effective celebrity endorsement campaigns, this causal research examines the factors that influence consumers' purchase intentions towards high-involvement products endorsed by influencers in the gaming community.
Most specifically, this study examines the uses and gratification needs that drive consumers to watch, and form para-social interaction with video gaming celebrities. Furthermore, this study examines the effects that para-social interaction has on perceived social, functional and financial risks that consumers associate with high-involvement products. Moreover, the research examines the influence of these perceived risks on purchase intentions. Additionally, the study examines if video gaming influencers are as influential on non-gaming products as they are on video gaming products.
Through a judgement sampling method, 105 participants that spectate gaming influencers playing video games were asked to fill a survey. Social integrative needs, cognitive needs, affective needs and tension release needs had a positive influence on para-social interaction. However, para-social interaction only influenced consumers who had prior experience of purchasing endorsed video gaming products. For example, the findings from this research suggested that parasocial interaction influenced this group of experienced customers to perceive high risks for products that were a poor fit with the celebrity’s image. Low social, functional, and financial risks led to high purchase intentions for video gaming products that were endorsed by good fit video gaming influencers.
Interestingly, tension release needs mitigated functional risks associated with video gaming products. Cognitive needs mitigated functional risks associated with video gaming products only for consumers that had previous experience of purchasing endorsed video gaming products. Social integrative needs influenced consumers to buy non-gaming products that were endorsed by a video gaming influencer.
Video gaming influencers were more effective in influencing perceived risks and buying behaviour when they endorsed video gaming products than non-gaming products. When the influencer was a good fit, consumers perceived lower social, functional and financial risks than when they were a poor fit. Furthermore, consumers had higher purchase intentions towards a good fit product than a poor fit product. The research discusses the implications of the findings.

year: 2019

title: Prospective actuarial risk assessment: A comparison of five risk assessment instruments in different sexual offender subtypes

authors: Rettenberger, Martin

subjects: sexual offending

abstract: This study examines the predictive validity of the most commonly used risk assessment instruments for sexual offenders: Static-99, Rapid Risk Assessment for Sexual Offense Recidivism, Sex Offender Risk Appraisal Guide, Sexual Violence Risk—20, and Psychopathy Checklist—Revised in a prospective research design. Although risk assessment is part of a regime leading to various efforts to reduce risk by treatment and aftercare, all instruments show good predictive validity. However, depending on the instrument, recidivism category, and subgroup, the predictive accuracy varies markedly. Furthermore, the authors fail to demonstrate predictive validity for sexual violent reoffences—for the whole sample and for all subgroups. The results, nevertheless, support the utility and predictive validity of actuarial risk assessment complementary to treatment efforts to reduce risk. On the other hand, forensic practitioners have to be aware of the limitations of actuarial risk assessment methods, in particular as regards to variable predictive accuracy for different sexual offender subgroups and reoffence categories.

text: Prospective actuarial risk assessment: A comparison of five risk assessment instruments in different sexual offender subtypes This study examines the predictive validity of the most commonly used risk assessment instruments for sexual offenders: Static-99, Rapid Risk Assessment for Sexual Offense Recidivism, Sex Offender Risk Appraisal Guide, Sexual Violence Risk—20, and Psychopathy Checklist—Revised in a prospective research design. Although risk assessment is part of a regime leading to various efforts to reduce risk by treatment and aftercare, all instruments show good predictive validity. However, depending on the instrument, recidivism category, and subgroup, the predictive accuracy varies markedly. Furthermore, the authors fail to demonstrate predictive validity for sexual violent reoffences—for the whole sample and for all subgroups. The results, nevertheless, support the utility and predictive validity of actuarial risk assessment complementary to treatment efforts to reduce risk. On the other hand, forensic practitioners have to be aware of the limitations of actuarial risk assessment methods, in particular as regards to variable predictive accuracy for different sexual offender subgroups and reoffence categories.

year: 2010

title: Te Puea Herangi: an ethno-biographical study

authors: King, Michael

abstract: Early explanations of Maori leadership (for example Buck 1950) tended to emphasize the principle of male primogeniture - the expectation that community leadership would in the normal course of affairs pass to the eldest sons of lines of first-born males. Later studies of Western-educated leaders and those with a non-traditional power base (see Butterworth 1969, Cody 1953, Condliffe 1971, and Henderson 1972) continued to emphasize male primacy. Against the tenor of these studies, however, is the fact that in the first half of the twentieth century the Maori King Movement was dominated and welded together by a woman who preached male primogeniture though her life seemed to contradict the principle; Te Puea Herangi was not of a senior descent line and neither compensated for its absence by a substantial degree of European education nor consolidated her position by marriage. Nor was she simply a forceful leader in Maori terms only: Professor J.G.A. Pocock (in The Maori and New Zealand Politics) called her “possibly the most influential woman in our political history”.

This study examines Te Puea's leadership role: how she came to assume it, how she exercised it, and its consequences. Analytical concepts like Max Weber's distinctions between charismatic, traditional and rational-legal authority, have been avoided. The danger of adopting them is that the themes and emphases of research material can be easily and unintentionally warped to fit the model, in the interests of tidiness and intelligibility. Instead, this study proceeds by way of a detailed and chronological examination of the major events of Te Puea's life, and an evaluation of actions and statements as they occur and in the context in which they occur. It is, in other words, a consideration of Te Puea's life in terms of her own concepts, and in relation to the Maori and wider public affairs of her day. Explanations for her behaviour are sought within the boundaries of her own life and culture rather than from the imposition of alien models.

text: Te Puea Herangi: an ethno-biographical study Early explanations of Maori leadership (for example Buck 1950) tended to emphasize the principle of male primogeniture - the expectation that community leadership would in the normal course of affairs pass to the eldest sons of lines of first-born males. Later studies of Western-educated leaders and those with a non-traditional power base (see Butterworth 1969, Cody 1953, Condliffe 1971, and Henderson 1972) continued to emphasize male primacy. Against the tenor of these studies, however, is the fact that in the first half of the twentieth century the Maori King Movement was dominated and welded together by a woman who preached male primogeniture though her life seemed to contradict the principle; Te Puea Herangi was not of a senior descent line and neither compensated for its absence by a substantial degree of European education nor consolidated her position by marriage. Nor was she simply a forceful leader in Maori terms only: Professor J.G.A. Pocock (in The Maori and New Zealand Politics) called her “possibly the most influential woman in our political history”.

This study examines Te Puea's leadership role: how she came to assume it, how she exercised it, and its consequences. Analytical concepts like Max Weber's distinctions between charismatic, traditional and rational-legal authority, have been avoided. The danger of adopting them is that the themes and emphases of research material can be easily and unintentionally warped to fit the model, in the interests of tidiness and intelligibility. Instead, this study proceeds by way of a detailed and chronological examination of the major events of Te Puea's life, and an evaluation of actions and statements as they occur and in the context in which they occur. It is, in other words, a consideration of Te Puea's life in terms of her own concepts, and in relation to the Maori and wider public affairs of her day. Explanations for her behaviour are sought within the boundaries of her own life and culture rather than from the imposition of alien models.

year: 1977