Online-Offline Self-Identity Overlap and Consumer Decision to Acquire Digital-Physical Twins in the Metaverse

Yi Lu, Xiuping Li and Zhenhui (Jack) Jiang

Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, 2025, vol. 10, issue 2, 180 - 190

Abstract: With the blending of virtual and physical realms in the metaverse, this research investigates how acquiring a physical product influences the decision to purchase its digital counterpart and vice versa. We propose that online-offline identity overlap (OOIO) predicts consistent preferences across these realms, affecting purchase behavior. Across two pilot studies and four experiments with 1,864 participants, we find that consumers with high OOIO are more likely to acquire both versions of a product. This effect is stronger when products highlight attributes experienced reliably in both realms (e.g., visual design) and weaker for attributes limited to one world. Additionally, goal consistency moderates this effect, with divergent goals reducing acquisition consistency. For consumers with high OOIO, marketing efforts across realms can be mutually reinforcing, especially when product attributes are comparable in both digital and physical contexts.

Date: 2025
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