Internet Involvement: Instrument Development, Measurement and Implications for Electronic Commerce

The concept of involvement underlying human behavior has been found to be a crucial construct in various disciplines. For example, a greater understanding of this construct has allowed marketing and consumer behavior researchers to develop insights into consumer search processes and strategies, audience involvement in advertising (Greenwald and Leavitt, 1984), temporal context of product involvement (Richins and Bloch, 1986), and advertising effectiveness (Petty, Cacioppo and Schumann, 1983). Similarly, a better understanding of the Internet involvement can allow researchers and business managers to develop better insights about consumer behavior in the context of electronic commerce. This study draws upon existing theories on involvement in multiple disciplines such as consumer behavior, information systems and economic psychology and adapts existing instruments (validated in past research), to develop a measure of internet involvement. The developed instrument is then used to investigate consumers’ distinct behaviors regarding electronic commerce. The study provides evidence that high and low involved consumers differ in terms of their behaviors regarding the Internet.