This study aims to identify the effect of information search motivation on online reviews, behavioral intentions, and to empirically analyze the mediating effect of trust, and conducted an online survey of male and female consumers in their 20s or old...
This study aims to identify the effect of information search motivation on online reviews, behavioral intentions, and to empirically analyze the mediating effect of trust, and conducted an online survey of male and female consumers in their 20s or older who have used online reviews at least once through Internet shopping malls, blogs, and online communities.
The data was collected through the Self-administered Questionnaire Survey Method for male and female consumers in their 20s or older who had used online reviews at least once. The data collection period is from April 11 to May 28, 2025, and after explaining the purpose and contents of the study to the subjects through an online questionnaire, the survey was conducted with consent, and the final 428 copies of data were analyzed. The results of the study are as follows.
First, the sub-factors of information search motivation consisted of practical motivation and hedonistic motivation, online review
characteristics consisted of reliability, consent, and informativity, trust consisted of objectivity and professionalism, and use behavioral
intentions consisted of information acceptance, use, and recommendation.
Second, as a result of the general characteristic analysis, the gender was 174 men and 254 women, and the age was 162 people in their 20s, 84 people in their 30s, 63 people in their 40s, and 119 people in their 50s or older. Marital status was found to be 209 married, 198 unmarried, and 21 others, and the final academic background was in the order of four-year college enrollment/graduation, graduate school enrollment/graduation, two-year college enrollment/graduation, and high school graduation or less. By occupation, students, office workers, service workers, technical workers/professional workers, and others were in the order of less than 3-4 million won, and the average monthly income (including allowance) was less than 5 million won, less than 2 million won, less than 200-3 million won, and less than 400-5 million won.
Third, as a result of the analysis of online usage, it was found that they were online less than 5-10 times a day on average, and the frequency of online access to beauty-related information can be seen as generally online to obtain beauty-related information 3-4 times a week. In addition, the platforms for checking online reviews appear in the order of SNS, Internet shopping malls, blogs, and online communities (cafes), and beauty-related information to be obtained online appears in the order of other people's purchase reviews, menu information (price, usage information), store search and location information), and social and exchange activities.
The criteria for selecting beauty information to be obtained online are in the order of the number of recommended reviews, technical expertise, friendly and good service, low price, and store location, which can be seen as generally considering the number of recommended reviews important.
Fourth, as a result of verifying the hypothesis that information search motivation will have a positive (+) effect on online review characteristics, it was found that the practicality and pleasure of each sub-factor of information search motivation had a statistically significant positive (+) effect on the informativity, reliability, and consent of each sub-factor of online review characteristics.
Fifth, as a result of hypothesis verification that online review characteristics will have a positive (+) effect on trust, informativity, reliability, and consent by sub-factors of online review have a statistically significant positive (+) effect on objectivity and professionalism by sub-factors of trust.
Sixth, as a result of verifying the hypothesis that online review characteristics will have a positive (+) effect on the intention to use
behavior, it was found that informativity, reliability, and consent by sub-factors of online reviews had a statistically significant positive (+) effect on information acceptance intention, use intention, and recommendation intention.
Seventh, as a result of verifying the hypothesis that trust will have a positive (+) effect on the intention to use behavior, it was found
that objectivity and expertise, sub-factors of trust, had a statistically significant positive (+) effect on information acceptance intention, use
intention, and recommendation intention.
Eighth, as a result of verifying the hypothesis that trust will have a mediating effect in the relationship between online review characteristics and use behavioral intentions, trust had a mediating effect in the relationship between online review characteristics and use behavioral intentions.The results of this study further deepened consumer motivation research in the online environment and provided a theoretical basis for consumer information processing and behavior prediction in the future in the service sector, including the beauty industry, by structurally suggesting a path leading to consumer motivation, online review characteristics, trust, and use behavioral intention in the online environment, rather than trust as a simple outcome variable. In addition, the results of this study suggest that companies and brands should recognize the importance of online review management and come up with a strategy to create a review environment that can build consumer trust, and suggested the
necessity of establishing a content review environment such as actual review videos, visual comparison contents, and emotional review
sharing functions that consumers can feel fun and satisfied with. In addition, it presents a marketing direction that secures the authenticity
of the brand through a transparent review management and review verification system. The limitations and suggestions of this study are as follows.
First, since this study was conducted centering on the hair and beauty industry, there is a limit to applying the research results to the general service industry as a whole. In future studies, it is necessary to compare and analyze differences in online review trust-building factors according to industrial characteristics by expanding to other service areas such as the food service industry, travel, healthcare, and
fashion.
Second, this study was limited to information search motivation (utility, hedonism), online review characteristics (information, reliability,
consent), trust (objectivity, expertise), and use behavioral intention (information acceptance, use, recommendation), but emotional factors
(satisfaction, immersion, empathy, etc.) or social factors (sympathetic, social influence) can also play an important role in actual consumer
decision-making. In future research, it is necessary to present an expanded research model including these psychological and social
factors.
Third, since this study conducted only quantitative analysis through a self-written questionnaire, there was a limit to reflecting the respondents' subjective perception. In subsequent studies, it is necessary to explore the specific context of the consumer trust building process and behavioral intention by combining qualitative research methods such as in-depth interviews and group discussions(FGI).
However, despite these limitations, this study has academic and practical significance in that it comprehensively verified the relationship between the trust formation of beauty consumers and behavioral intentions centered on online reviews. In addition, if subsequent studies are developed to encompass various industries, generations, and technological environments, they can contribute to further expanding the scope of consumer decision-making research.