The influence of need for touch and gender on Internet shopping attitudes among Korean consumers

Abstract

The purposes of this study were to examine how need for touch is related to gender and Internet shopping attitudes among a sample of adult Korean consumers (160 men; 160 women; mean age = 43.7) and to confirm if Peck and Childers Need For Touch (NFT) scale can be validated with adult Korean consumers. Out of nine hypotheses, seven hypotheses were fully or partially supported. Women had higher NFT than men, respectively the (a) total NFT, (b) autotelic NFT, and (c) instrumental NFT. Men had a higher instrumental NFT than autotelic NFT. Women did not differ from men in Internet shopping attitudes. Finally, Korean consumers higher (vs. lower) in total NFT and instrumental NFT (but not autotelic NFT) differed in Internet shopping attitudes related to security. Results supported propositions of consumer motivation theory and provided both academic and practical implications. © 2016, © The Textile Institute and Informa UK Ltd 2016.