Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society

This study investigates the differential impacts of virtual and human influencers on consumer purchase intentions, focusing particularly on the roles of perceived psychological distance and credibility. Utilizing image recognition algorithms, two influencers with facial similarities were stringently selected, and surveys from 427 consumers on their perceptions of the products endorsed by these influencers were analyzed. Results show human influencers outperform virtual ones, yet the latter still positively affect purchase intentions, revealing their potential as effective marketing tools. The study further reveals that perceived psychological distance can independently mediate the relationship between influencer type and purchase intention, and also acts in tandem with perceived credibility in this mediation. This research not only offers empirical insights into the comparative effectiveness of virtual versus human influencers in digital marketing but also advances understanding of the psychological mechanisms underpinning consumer behavior in the digital era.