Table 3. Proposed topics for future... | Emerald Publishing

Table 3.

Proposed topics for future research

Proposed topics based on identified research gaps	Avenues for future research
Theory
Revisit existing consumer behaviour theories and concepts in the light of VR Application of marketing theories and concepts not yet considered in VR Merge theories that can help understand consumers’ interactions with products in VR Perceptions of space, depth, presence of others and crowdedness	Which theories are best suited to understanding how consumers interact with products in VR? Which theories, not yet considered, can be successfully applied? Do we arrive at different results in VR by applying theories valid in physical reality? Can dedicated theories be developed to analyse the interaction with products in VR? Which theories of consumer behaviour and product research can be merged for studies in VR? Do factors such as depth, presence of others and crowdedness influence product evaluation in VR? Do social relationships influence the way consumers interact with products in VR?
Context
Research in different cultural contexts and generational cohorts Research on non-tangible aspects of the product (novelty, prototypicality, value, sustainability) Differences among low- and high-involvement products in VR, and among different types of stores in VR Differences between VR and physical reality Free navigation and interaction in VR, without the use of controllers Consequences of using VR devices for an extended period of time Research comparing several reality technologies and formats (VR, AR, PMR) Complement behavioural data with biometric measures	Does culture or generational differences affect product evaluation in VR? What role do non-tangible aspects of products in VR play? Are there differences between the evaluation of non-tangible aspects in VR compared to other conditions and physical reality? How do consumers evaluate low- and high-involvement products in VR? How does the type of store influence the evaluation of products in VR? How do consumers evaluate analytical product attributes, such as packaging, in VR? Are virtual products perceived differently than physical products? Is the possibility of free navigation and interaction in VR relevant in the evaluation of products in VR? What consequences does the use of VR devices for an extended period of time have when interacting with products? What peculiarities do technologies, such as VR, AR and PMR, have when interacting with products? What are the differences between them? How is it possible to complement behavioural data with biometric measures to gain a deeper understanding of consumers’ product evaluations in VR?
Characteristics
The role of cognitive engagement of VR in paying attention to specific stimuli Research analysing the role and the impact of sensory cues (touch, smell, taste) Consumer attitudes/behaviour in VR Product evaluation in VR B2B markets	Does cognitive engagement influence consumers in focussing on specific product stimuli in VR? How can sensory cues (touch, smell, taste) be analysed in the interaction with products in VR? What implications do they have on consumer response? What differences emerge with physical reality? What characteristics could product evaluation in VR have in a B2B market? What criticalities?
Methodology
Field studies and non-student samples to increase external validity and generalisability Longitudinal research to verify changes in consumer response over time Qualitative studies to complement quantitative research	How to capture actual behaviour in VR? How to increase external validity and generalisability when it comes to product assessment in VR? Does collecting longitudinal data in VR show a change in consumer response over time? How can qualitative insights be gained in the study of product evaluation in VR?

Proposed topics based on identified research gaps	Avenues for future research
Theory
Revisit existing consumer behaviour theories and concepts in the light of VRApplication of marketing theories and concepts not yet considered in VRMerge theories that can help understand consumers’ interactions with products in VRPerceptions of space, depth, presence of others and crowdedness	Which theories are best suited to understanding how consumers interact with products in VR? Which theories, not yet considered, can be successfully applied? Do we arrive at different results in VR by applying theories valid in physical reality?Can dedicated theories be developed to analyse the interaction with products in VR? Which theories of consumer behaviour and product research can be merged for studies in VR?Do factors such as depth, presence of others and crowdedness influence product evaluation in VR? Do social relationships influence the way consumers interact with products in VR?
Context
Research in different cultural contexts and generational cohortsResearch on non-tangible aspects of the product (novelty, prototypicality, value, sustainability)Differences among low- and high-involvement products in VR, and among different types of stores in VRDifferences between VR and physical realityFree navigation and interaction in VR, without the use of controllersConsequences of using VR devices for an extended period of timeResearch comparing several reality technologies and formats (VR, AR, PMR)Complement behavioural data with biometric measures	Does culture or generational differences affect product evaluation in VR?What role do non-tangible aspects of products in VR play? Are there differences between the evaluation of non-tangible aspects in VR compared to other conditions and physical reality?How do consumers evaluate low- and high-involvement products in VR? How does the type of store influence the evaluation of products in VR?How do consumers evaluate analytical product attributes, such as packaging, in VR? Are virtual products perceived differently than physical products?Is the possibility of free navigation and interaction in VR relevant in the evaluation of products in VR?What consequences does the use of VR devices for an extended period of time have when interacting with products?What peculiarities do technologies, such as VR, AR and PMR, have when interacting with products? What are the differences between them?How is it possible to complement behavioural data with biometric measures to gain a deeper understanding of consumers’ product evaluations in VR?
Characteristics
The role of cognitive engagement of VR in paying attention to specific stimuliResearch analysing the role and the impact of sensory cues (touch, smell, taste)Consumer attitudes/behaviour in VRProduct evaluation in VR B2B markets	Does cognitive engagement influence consumers in focussing on specific product stimuli in VR?How can sensory cues (touch, smell, taste) be analysed in the interaction with products in VR? What implications do they have on consumer response? What differences emerge with physical reality?What characteristics could product evaluation in VR have in a B2B market? What criticalities?
Methodology
Field studies and non-student samples to increase external validity and generalisabilityLongitudinal research to verify changes in consumer response over timeQualitative studies to complement quantitative research	How to capture actual behaviour in VR? How to increase external validity and generalisability when it comes to product assessment in VR?Does collecting longitudinal data in VR show a change in consumer response over time?How can qualitative insights be gained in the study of product evaluation in VR?

Source: Authors’ own work