The role of elaboration likelihood model in consumer behaviour research and its extension to new technologies: A review and future research agenda

Abstract

During the last decade, research on new technologies such as virtual reality and augmented reality in the context of marketing has gained notable attention from the marketing researchers. Researchers are trying to understand consumer behaviour with the aid of new technologies, but only a few consumer behaviour theories are being used in the context of marketing, for example, theory of planned behaviour, self‐determination theory, technology acceptance model, uses & gratification theory and innovation diffusion theory. These theories can successfully predict consumer's motivation, behavioural intentions and technology adoption. However, they are unable to explicate the effectiveness of promotional messages and content marketing on consumer's change in attitude and decision making. Surprisingly, theories that are actually capable to do so, for example, elaboration likelihood model (ELM), have been overlooked by the researchers. This could be because classical theories are unable to comprehend the new technologies, and hence, it is pertinent to enhance the spectrum of the classical theories. Therefore, the goal of this theory‐based systematic literature review is to assess the ELM literature to address the existing research gaps in the marketing literature. The research string used in this study was developed by using Boolean operators to search databases, and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses framework was adopted to increase the efficiency of the searching process. A total of 762 suitable articles were considered for the initial screening, however, only 68 articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in the study. These articles were analysed to propose future research agenda by including the under‐looked constructs and theories.

Scientific procedures and rationales for systematic literature reviews (SPAR‐4‐SLR)

“…Shahab et al. 's (2021) review on elaboration likelihood model using 68 empirical articles published in WOS's Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) or Science Citation Index (SCI) journals with an impact factor more than one indicates that the theory has been widely applied across communication medium (e.g., computer‐related mediums such as e‐brochures, social networking sites, and websites), contexts (e.g., marketing, psychology, and health), and countries (e.g., Australia, China, and United States). Their review also indicates that content marketing and promotional messages can affect the central and peripheral routes of persuading and inspiring consumers, especially those with a high degree of personal innovativeness and a high tendency to seek novelty, act, and perform desired behaviors.…”

Brand communities: A literature review and future research agendas using TCCM approach

“…The TCCM framework elucidates the theoretical and empirical facets of a research domain, thereby addressing the shortcomings of traditional systematic reviews (Chen et al., 2020). As such, it is an effective tool (Shahab et al., 2021) that ensures a comprehensive understanding of a given area of research (Paul & Shrivatava, 2016; Paul & Singh, 2017).…”

Factors influencing fake news rebuttal acceptance during the COVID-19 pandemic and the moderating effect of cognitive ability

“…Another important aspect of the ELM is the study of the moderating role of “elaboration likelihood,” which relates to an individual's abilities and motivations ( Shahab et al, 2021 ). In the ELM, motivation refers to an individual's desire to exert a high level of mental effort, and capacity refers to an individual's ability and opportunity to think ( Griffith et al, 2018 ).…”

“…The ELM explains why a given influence process may lead to different outcomes ( Li, 2013 ). Most theories focus on either higher or lower cognitive processing separately, but the ELM is a unified model that deals with both aspects simultaneously ( Shahab et al, 2021 ); that is, information processing can act through both a central and a peripheral route simultaneously ( Eagly & Chaiken, 1993 ; Sussman & Siegal, 2003 ). Both routes signify that one's attitudes take shape or vary according to intrinsic information processing capabilities—that is, they can evaluate information based on their past experiences and knowledge ( Sussman & Siegal, 2003 ).…”