The impact of AR-enabled try-on experiences on consumer purchase decisions: the moderating role of AI-powered recommendation agents

This study investigates how AR try-on functionalities affect consumer purchase behaviors in terms of psychological empowerment processes and uses AI recommendation attributes as boundary conditions. Drawing on skill acquisition theory and dual-process theory, this study hypothesizes a dual-pathway model in which AR interactivity influences perceived control, AR immersion influences perceived value, and both perceptual phenomena influence purchase intention positively. Using the techniques of structural equation modeling and multi-group analysis, data were collected from 500 Chinese consumers through three major e-commerce platforms (Tmall, JD.com, Dewu). The results show that perceived control is a mediator between AR interactivity and purchase intention (indirect effect = 0.406, 95% CI [0.324, 0.495]), and perceived value is a mediator of the relationship between AR immersion and purchase intention (indirect effect = 0.474, 95% CI [0.389, 0.566]). AI-AR integration level significantly enhances the interactivity-control pathway (Δχ2 = 12.87, p