Seeing the Feel, Willing to Buy: How Visual–Tactile Cues Shape Consumer Purchase Intention in E-Commerce Platforms

Abstract

With the rapid growth of e-commerce platforms, consumers increasingly make purchase decisions without direct physical interaction, particularly for tactile-dependent categories such as furniture and home décor. Drawing on embodied cognition, this study investigates how visual-based tactile cues influence consumers’ purchase intention on e-commerce platforms. Using experimental methods, two studies manipulate the level of visual-based tactile cues (high vs. low) and examine their effects on purchase intention. The results show that richer visual-based tactile cues significantly increase purchase intention. Contrary to traditional information overload assumptions that additional visual detail may hinder decision-making, this effect occurs through enhanced immersion rather than increased cognitive burden, suggesting that visual-based tactile cues operate as embodied sensory triggers instead of purely informational inputs. Furthermore, cross-modal mental imagery moderates this process in a counterintuitive way: the indirect effect of visual-based tactile cues on purchase intention via immersion is stronger when consumers’ imagery ability is lower, indicating a compensatory role of external sensory cues. By conceptualizing visual-based tactile cues as an innovation in interactive marketing within new media environments, this research offers actionable design implications for e-commerce platforms in enhancing tactile perception through visual presentation and improving conversion effectiveness.

1. Introduction

In recent years, online shopping has expanded rapidly in the global retail market, profoundly reshaping the way consumers make purchase decisions [1,2]. However, the convenience of e-commerce comes at a cost: it deprives consumers of the tactile dimension, which plays an irreplaceable role in purchase decision-making [3]. In touch-absent contexts, consumers often experience hesitation [4], a phenomenon that is particularly pronounced for high-value, experience-dependent product categories, such as furniture [5,6]. When direct product contact is unavailable, consumers tend to rely on product image cues to infer tactile information, including material quality and comfort [7]. Importantly, prior research indicates that visual presentation itself functions as a persuasive cue in digital commerce, shaping consumers’ evaluations and engagement behaviors. Enhanced imagery and higher visual quality can influence perceived product attributes and processing fluency, thereby affecting consumer responses to marketing content [8,9]. Prior research has shown that visual elements such as folds, surface structure, and reflective properties influence consumers’ perceptions of fabric or material types [10]. Tactile perception is closely associated with purchase intention, as product images that successfully evoke realistic tactile impressions can reduce perceived risk and, in turn, enhance purchase intention [11,12].

However, according to traditional information overload theory, excessive detail may increase consumers’ cognitive burden and reduce decision efficiency [7,13]. In addition, to maintain visual consistency, e-commerce platforms often standardize product images, thereby eliminating authentic tactile cues such as natural folds and textures [14]. Yet, in touch-absent online shopping environments, this theoretical logic may not fully apply. Instead, rich visual detail may serve as a substitute for tactile input, alleviating uncertainty and enabling consumers to make more confident purchase decisions. This compensatory effect of visual detail can be understood through mental imagery processes.

Prior research indicates that, in the absence of direct product interaction, consumers rely on imagery-based simulation to reconstruct sensory experience and guide evaluations [15]. Furthermore, vivid mental imagery enhances experiential realism and situational engagement, allowing consumers to form more concrete consumption impressions even without physical contact [16]. This tension gives rise to a pressing research question: in online shopping contexts that require tactile judgment, what level of visual detail most effectively enhances consumers’ purchase intention? Furthermore, how do individual characteristics such as cross-modal mental imagery delineate the boundary conditions of this process? Addressing these questions not only deepens our understanding of decision-making under sensory deprivation but also offers actionable pathways for optimizing product presentation in digital retail and improving consumer well-being and market performance [17].

To understand this mechanism is not only crucial for advancing sensory marketing theory but also has important practical implications for building a more human-centered digital consumption ecosystem. From a macro-level perspective, clarifying how consumers process visual–tactile information can inform the development of online retail design standards that balance sensory diversity and accessibility. From a micro-level perspective, such understanding can guide platforms in optimizing product presentation according to consumers’ perceptual and sensory needs, thereby enhancing purchase confidence and purchase intention. However, despite extensive research on the role of sensory cues in marketing and human–computer interaction, little systematic attention has been paid to the optimal level of visual detail required to elicit tactile perception under touch-absent conditions. Traditional research typically assumes that more information leads to greater cognitive load and decision fatigue [18], yet this assumption may not hold for product categories that are highly dependent on tactile judgment (e.g., furniture, apparel, bedding, and upholstered home décor). When tactile input is absent, rich visual detail may instead function as a necessary substitute signal, enabling consumers to engage in mental haptic simulation through imagination and embodied cognition [19].

Building on these insights, this study adopts visual-based tactile cues as the central analytical perspective. In this study, visual tactile cues refer to visual presentations—such as fabric folds, surface textures, and gloss or reflective properties—that evoke tactile associations and enable consumers to engage in psychological simulation through vision when direct touch is unavailable. Grounded in embodied cognition theory, this perspective posits that sensory experiences can be reactivated in cognition through perception and imagination [20,21], allowing consumers to “feel” tactile sensations by relying on visual input [17,22]. Existing research on cross-modal perception has demonstrated how visual and tactile cues jointly influence consumers’ product evaluations; however, theoretical divergence remains. On the one hand, cross-modal congruency theory emphasizes that semantic consistency between visual and tactile cues enhances processing fluency and positive affect [23,24]. On the other hand, sensory compensation research suggests that, in the absence of touch, visual cues can compensate for tactile deprivation through mental simulation [25,26].

Nevertheless, both perspectives tend to overlook the hierarchical dimension of visual detail—namely, whether richer visual representations of tactile information necessarily lead to more favorable consumer responses—an issue that has yet to be systematically examined. This debate resonates with information overload theory, which argues that excessive sensory information increases cognitive load and undermines decision quality [27,28] (see

Table A1. Summary of visual- and tactile-related marketing literature.

Research Purpose	Conclusion	Resource
To determine whether altering the surface texture of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCGs) packaging can influence consumers’ tactile perception and product evaluations, even for products typically touched only briefly.	Consumers’ evaluations of FMCG packaging are driven more by visual than by tactile cues, suggesting that tactile interaction has a limited role compared to visual design in shaping product appeal.	[30]
To examine how visual and haptic packaging design characteristics, both individually and jointly, influence consumers’ brand impressions through the lens of congruence and processing fluency theories.	Consumers form more positive brand evaluations when visual and haptic package cues are semantically congruent, highlighting the importance of cross-modal consistency in brand design.	[23]
To explore how 3D virtual advertising influences online shopping effectiveness, examining mental imagery vividness as a mediator and consumers’ need for touch (NFT) and product type as moderators.	3D advertising outperforms 2D formats by enhancing vivid mental imagery, which mediates positive attitudes and intentions; however, this effect depends on product type and consumers’ need for touch—being stronger for geometric products and for low-NFT consumers when evaluating material products.	[55]
To investigate whether tactile sexual cues, rather than visual ones, can influence women’s economic decision-making.	Tactile sexual cues—such as touching boxer shorts—significantly increase women’s craving for monetary rewards, reduce loss aversion, and raise willingness to pay, whereas visual cues do not, suggesting that touch triggers stronger Pavlovian reward responses than vision.	[67]
This study investigates how sensory-enabling presentations—specifically image zooming and rotation videos—affect consumers’ cognitive and affective neural responses during online product evaluation and purchase decisions.	Image zooming primarily enhances visual perception during evaluation, whereas rotation videos elicit stronger mental imagery, pleasure, and reward anticipation during purchase decisions, suggesting that dynamic visual cues can simulate tactile experiences and enhance shopping enjoyment.	[29]
To examine whether interactive visual stimuli that simulate touch can evoke tactile sensations and enhance consumers’ perceived diagnosticity of product attributes in online shopping environments.	Interactive interfaces that simulate stroking gestures increase perceived diagnosticity for experience attributes by inducing visually driven tactile sensations—particularly when users have control over the product interaction—highlighting the critical role of simulated touch in online product evaluation.	[25]
To investigate how multiple sensory cues—specifically visual form plausibility, visual–tactile synchrony, and visual–proprioceptive spatial offset—jointly and differentially shape the three core components of self-representation: embodiment, agency, and presence, within a unified virtual reality (VR) context.	Results demonstrate that these sensory cues independently and non-hierarchically influence embodiment, agency, and presence, indicating that self-representation arises from flexible, multi-sensory integration rather than a strictly ordered or interdependent cue hierarchy.	[36]
This study aims to examine how physically touching one product influences consumers’ perception and choice of other visually presented products that share similar haptic features.	Touching a product enhances the visual fluency and choice likelihood of haptically similar products—particularly in visually crowded displays—and that this effect is further moderated by consumers’ instrumental need for touch, suggesting that mimicking haptic features can strategically guide product selection.	[68]
To develop a comprehensive conceptual framework illustrating how visual–tactile interplay influences consumer responses across brand, product, and service scape contexts.	The study identifies that visual–tactile interplay elicits distinct cognitive, emotional, and behavioral responses depending on the consumption context, and proposes an integrated conceptual model explaining how these sensory cues jointly shape consumer perception and behavior.	[24]
This paper investigates how the visual property of glossiness influences haptic perception, consumers’ internal reactions, and behavioral intentions through cross-modal correspondence between vision and touch.	Glossy (vs. matte) packaging significantly alters consumers perceived tactile attributes (roughness, thickness, and lightness), enhancing perceived quality, attractiveness, and purchase intention—validating a conceptual framework that integrates the SOR model with cross-modal correspondence theory.	[69]
To investigate how the multisensory techniques (visual, auditory, and tactile stimulation) influence customer evaluations.	Consumer brand evaluations are positively affected by sensory stimulation through congruent sensory cues.	[70]
To explain consumers’ hesitance in online purchasing context.	High-NFT (need for touch) consumers concern about high quality and pay less attention on affective response to online offered produce.	[63]
To explore the compensatory effect of visual language on purchase intention in online retail.	Visual language has a compensatory effect on purchase intention via mental simulation.	[26]
To examine how oddly satisfying videos explain ambiguities in children’s YouTube context.	The study finds that “oddly satisfying” videos constitute a sensory genre centered on visual tactility, evoking a synesthetic sense of touch through visual stimuli and blurring the boundaries between children’s content and adult-oriented ASMR videos.	[71]
To investigate the effect of tactile cues on consumers’ emotional experiences in online furniture shopping context.	The study reveals that combined “sight + touch” stimuli enhance positive emotional responses, with skin conductance linked to arousal and heart rate linked to valence.	[72]
To examine how visual information compensates for the lack of tactile experience in online shopping through visual–tactile mechanisms based on mental imagery and personal goals theories.	Visually compensated tactile diagnosticity enhances mental imagery and sensory similarity, thereby increasing consumers’ purchase intention.	[12]
To investigate how the visual shape and tactile texture of teacups influence the perceived taste and aroma of tea.	Teacup dimensions and surface smoothness affect tea flavor perception, with teacup preference mediating the relationship between cup design and taste experience.	[73]
To examine how product surface roughness influences consumer perceptions and purchase decisions.	Rough surfaces increase perceived durability while smooth surfaces enhance perceived user-friendliness, with perceived heaviness mediating this effect and lightweight claims moderating it.	[11]

in Appendix B for details). However, under touch-absent conditions, rich visual detail may function not as a burden but as a necessary sensory substitute, enabling consumers to infer material properties and reduce uncertainty [29,30], thereby enhancing purchase intention. As a result, the psychological mechanism through which visual-based tactile cues translate into higher purchase intention remains insufficiently specified. Specifically, how do detail-rich tactile images shape consumer experience, and do they promote purchase intention by enhancing immersion, defined as a state of sensory and emotional engagement? Finally, prior research has given limited attention to individual differences in this process. To address this gap, the present study introduces cross-modal mental imagery as a boundary condition, proposing that individuals with stronger imagery ability are better able to transform visual cues into tactile experiences, thereby attaining deeper immersion and higher purchase intention. Taken together, this study elucidates the mechanism through which visual detail influences consumers’ psychological processing and decision-making in touch-absent online shopping contexts within an embodied cognition framework. This study extends prior tactile compensation research by conceptualizing visual-based tactile cue richness as a graded sensory dimension, identifying immersion as the core mechanism linking visual tactile detail to purchase intention in low-immersion interfaces, and revealing the dual role of visual tactile cues as both an imagery amplifier and an external perceptual scaffold across consumers with different imagery abilities.

Building on this framework, the present study further focuses on the level of detail in visual-based tactile cues and examines how such detail influences purchase intention through immersion, as well as the moderating role of cross-modal mental imagery in this process. Using furniture e-commerce—a product category that is highly dependent on tactile judgment yet constrained by visual presentation—as the research context, this study conducts two experiments. Study 1 tests the direct effect of tactile cue detail (high vs. low) on purchase intention. Study 2 further introduces immersion as a mediating variable and cross-modal mental imagery as a moderating variable to validate the complete psychological mechanism. The findings yield important theoretical and practical implications. Theoretically, the results empirically reveal a pattern that contrasts with the traditional information overload assumption: under conditions of tactile absence, a higher level of visual-based tactile detail enhances psychological immersion, thereby promoting purchase intention [31]. This finding extends theoretical explanations in sensory marketing and information processing and further highlights the critical boundary role of cross-modal mental imagery in tactile substitution processes. Practically, the study offers actionable design implications for e-commerce platforms. Specifically, appropriately enhancing visual details such as folds, textures, or surface structures in product images can elicit consumers’ mental haptic simulation and immersion [17,32]. Moreover, tailoring visual presentation strategies to consumers’ imagery abilities can help strengthen purchase confidence and conversion rates in touch-absent environments.

Overall, this study advances theoretical understanding of sensory compensation under conditions of tactile absence, clarifies the contextual boundary of information overload logic in high-touch dependency settings, and elucidates the role of cross-modal mental imagery in tactile substitution processes. From a practical standpoint, the findings provide guidance for optimizing product image presentation and personalization strategies in digital retail by reinforcing haptic-related visual detail and aligning presentation formats with individual differences in imagery ability, thereby enhancing online consumer experience, purchase confidence, and conversion efficiency. This research also provides practical relevance for digital retailers by clarifying how visual–tactile design can reduce uncertainty in touch-absent environments and enhance consumers’ purchase confidence. By identifying immersion as a key psychological mechanism and cross-modal mental imagery as an important boundary condition, the study offers guidance for optimizing product image presentation and tailoring sensory design strategies to heterogeneous consumers.

2. Theoretical Framework and Hypothesis Development

2.1. Embodied Cognition Theory

This study adopts embodied cognition as its core theoretical lens. Embodied cognition posits that cognition is not merely the manipulation of abstract symbols in the brain but is instead generated through the dynamic interaction among the brain, the body, and the environment [20]. This theory challenges the traditional notion of mind–body dualism and argues that the brain is not the sole cognitive resource available for problem-solving [21]. In other words, individuals’ mental processes are shaped by their interactions with the environment. Prior research has shown that when individuals are exposed to visual presentations of food or beverages, they often mentally reproduce gustatory and tactile experiences, thereby influencing their attitudes and choices [4,33]. In the context of furniture consumption, this implies that when consumers view product images containing strong tactile cues, they draw on past tactile experiences to mentally simulate sensations such as fabric softness or the coolness of wood. Such simulations not only enhance immersion but also reduce perceived uncertainty, ultimately increasing purchase intention. Thus, embodied cognition provides a solid theoretical foundation for understanding how consumers form immersion and purchase intentions in the absence of direct contact.

However, embodied cognition is not the only possible explanatory framework. Computationalism and representationalism conceptualize cognition as the symbolic processing of external stimuli in the brain [34]. Within this framework, furniture images are reduced to abstract representations of shape, color, and function, upon which consumers base rational judgments. While this view accounts for logical reasoning, prior studies note that it neglects the active role of the senses in cognition, thereby failing to explain why strong tactile cues evoke tactile simulations. By contrast, situated cognition emphasizes that knowledge and understanding are always embedded in specific social practices and situational interactions [35]. This perspective explains how consumers form judgments in offline retail environments through direct interaction with products, but it falls short of accounting for why consumers can still experience immersion and tactile imagination based solely on images in online contexts. Prior studies have also pointed out the limited explanatory power of traditional theories in virtual retail settings [26]. Thus, existing competing theories either overemphasize abstract symbolic processing or rely excessively on physical interaction, and both fail to reveal how tactile absence is psychologically compensated in online consumption.

Against this backdrop, embodied cognition demonstrates unique advantages. It explains not only how visual-based tactile cues enhance immersion through mental simulation but also why such immersion translates into stronger purchase intentions. Moreover, embodied cognition highlights individual differences in the use of bodily experience, providing a theoretical rationale for introducing cross-modal mental imagery as a moderating variable. Research has shown that individuals with high levels of cross-modal mental imagery are more capable of transforming visual details into tactile mental images, thereby strengthening immersion and purchase motivation [31]. In summary, embodied cognition addresses the limitations of competing theories and offers a suitable explanatory framework for this study. Building on this framework, the next section presents the specific research hypotheses.

2.2. Hypothesis Development

Visual-based tactile cues refer to visual information in product images that conveys tactile attributes, such as the texture of fabric, the wrinkles of leather, or the roughness of wood. These cues enable consumers to infer the tactile qualities of a product through vision. From the perspective of embodied cognition, cognitive processes rely on bodily experiences and sensory simulations rather than solely on abstract symbol processing in the brain [20]. When consumers view images containing strong tactile cues, they automatically draw on prior tactile experiences to mentally simulate sensations such as the softness of fabric or the coolness of wood. Such simulations enhance the perceived authenticity and credibility of the product. In contrast, images with weak tactile cues and fewer details fail to evoke similar experiences, thereby reducing consumers’ positive responses. Previous research has found that rich visual details not only strengthen tactile imagination but also reduce product uncertainty, ultimately increasing purchase intention [17,31]. Moreover, in virtual consumption and online retail settings, the quality of sensory cues directly affects consumers’ decision confidence and purchase behavior [35,36]. Based on this, we propose the following hypothesis:

Hypothesis 1.

Consumers exposed to high-detail (vs. low-detail) visual-based tactile cues will report higher purchase intention.

Immersion refers to a form of spatiotemporal engagement in which individuals are deeply absorbed in the present moment [37]. It is a psychological state characterized by a sense of presence and involvement, as if one were situated in a real environment and fully captivated by the experience [30]. In consumption contexts, immersion manifests as consumers being enveloped by product information, temporarily ignoring environmental distractions, and focusing entirely on interacting with the product. According to embodied cognition, individuals engage bodily experiences and generate sensory simulations when exposed to external stimuli [20]. Such simulations not only influence perception itself but also create a strong sense of immersion. In the current research context, when consumers view furniture images with strong tactile cues, visual details stimulate the mental recreation of tactile experiences, such as imagining the softness of fabric or the coolness of wood. This sensory-driven immersion facilitates purchase decisions [37,38]. Accordingly, we hypothesize:

Hypothesis 2.

The effect of visual-based tactile cues on purchase intention will be mediated by immersion, such that high-detail tactile cues increase immersion, which subsequently enhances purchase intention.

Cross-modal mental imagery refers to the connection between individuals’ mental imagery of an object and their sensory perception, that is, the ability to translate one sensory input into another sensory experience (e.g., generating tactile experiences from visual information) [39]. Cross-modal mental imagery is primarily conceptualized as an individual-difference ability, although the extent to which imagery is activated may also depend on situational cues. This ability reflects individual differences within embodied cognition, as not all consumers can equally transform visual cues into embodied tactile simulations. When cross-modal mental imagery is high, consumers are more likely to generate tactile associations when viewing images with strong tactile cues, leading to stronger immersion.

However, when imagery ability is relatively high, consumers may already generate vivid simulations even with limited external cues, thereby reducing the marginal contribution of additional tactile-diagnostic detail. This perspective suggests that tactile-diagnostic visual detail may operate not only as an imagery amplifier but also as a compensatory mechanism that supports immersion when consumers rely more heavily on externally provided sensory cues. Thus, we propose the following hypothesis:

Hypothesis 3.

Cross-modal mental imagery will moderate the effect of visual-based tactile cues on immersion, such that the positive effect will be stronger for individuals with lower levels of cross-modal mental imagery.

Beyond its effect on immersion, cross-modal mental imagery may also directly strengthen the relationship between visual-based tactile cues and purchase intention. According to embodied cognition [20], consumers engaging in sensory simulations not only experience tactile attributes but also construct mental images of usage scenarios. When cross-modal mental imagery is high, consumers can more easily build vivid usage scenes when viewing product images—for instance, imagining the comfort of sitting on a sofa. This mental process enhances product attractiveness and perceived utility, thereby directly increasing purchase intention. In contrast, when cross-modal mental imagery is low, such simulations are insufficient to translate into purchase motivation. Nevertheless, when imagery ability is relatively low, rich tactile-diagnostic visual cues may compensate for limited internally generated simulation, thereby exerting a stronger influence on purchase intention. Hence, we propose the following hypothesis:

Hypothesis 4.

Cross-modal mental imagery will moderate the effect of visual-based tactile cues on purchase intention, such that the positive effect will be stronger for individuals with lower levels of cross-modal mental imagery.

3. Overview of Studies

This study comprises three experiments: one pretest and two formal studies. The pretest was conducted to verify the effectiveness of the manipulation of visual-based tactile cues, ensuring that the experimental materials successfully elicited differentiated tactile perceptions. Study 1 further examined the main effect of visual-based tactile cues on purchase intention and investigated the mediating role of immersion. Study 2 focused on the moderating role of cross-modal mental imagery, thereby identifying the boundary conditions of individual differences in the underlying mechanism. To enhance external validity, we employed online samples and introduced multiple product stimuli across the experiments, ensuring that the findings are robust across different consumption contexts. The study was approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee (Approval No. 20250608), and informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to participation. Moreover, the experiments were preregistered on the OSF platform to ensure transparency and replicability (https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/JZ6Y9 (accessed on 19 September 2025)). The conceptual model of this study is presented in Figure 1. Specifically, Study 1 focuses on testing the direct effect of visual-based tactile cue detail on purchase intention (H1). Study 2 further examines the underlying psychological mechanism by testing the mediating role of immersion (H2) and the moderating effects of cross-modal mental imagery on both the first-stage and direct relationships (H3 and H4).

4. Pilot Study

The purpose of this pretest was to examine the effectiveness of the manipulation of visual-based tactile cues.

4.1. Pilot Study Method

This study adopted a single-factor, two-level (visual-based tactile cues: high vs. low) between-subjects design. Methodological research suggests that approximately 30 participants are sufficient for a pretest [40]. The final valid sample of 71 participants met this standard and was adequate for testing manipulation validity. The experiment was conducted on the Credamo platform from 10 June to 19 June 2025, with 76 participants recruited in total. All participants provided informed consent prior to completing the questionnaire and received monetary compensation as an incentive. After excluding responses that failed the attention check, 71 valid samples were retained, with 36 in the high tactile-cue condition and 35 in the low tactile-cue condition. Participants in the high tactile-cue group viewed furniture images with clear textures, wrinkles, and fabric details [41], while those in the low tactile-cue group viewed comparable furniture images presented under strong lighting and low resolution, making the details blurred (see Appendix A, Figure A1). Considering the rapid growth of the online furniture market, reflected in the strong performance of major online furniture retailers [42], a sofa—the most common type of living room furniture—was selected as the experimental stimulus to enhance external validity. After viewing the images, participants completed the manipulation check scale. All measurement items used in the pilot experiment are presented in Appendix B,

Table A2. Measurements and Items.

Measurements	Items	Reference
Visual-based Tactile Cues	The picture demonstrating the feel or texture of the furniture helped me evaluate the tactile attributes of the product.	[12,43]
	The picture demonstrating the feel or texture of the furniture helped familiarize me with the product.
	The picture demonstrating the feel or texture of the furniture is helpful for me to understand the product’s tactile attributes.
	The picture demonstrating the feel or texture of the furniture is helpful for me to imagine the product’s tactile attributes.
Immersion	I felt completely absorbed in the experience.	[46]
	I lost awareness of time while engaging with the experience.
	I felt like I was “in” the experience rather than just observing it.
	The experience captured my full attention.
Purchase Intention	After viewing this picture, I am willing to purchase the product being presented.	[47]
	After viewing this picture, I would consider purchasing the presented product.
	After viewing this picture, I will likely buy this product.
Cross-modal Mental Imagery	During the picture-viewing task, I imagined what it would be like to use this furniture.	[50]
	During the picture-viewing task, I fantasized about using the furniture.
	During the picture-viewing task, I thought about what the feeling would be like when using the furniture.
	During the picture-viewing task, I can easily imagine that I use the furniture.

. The scale was adapted from previous studies [12,43] and consisted of four items measured on a seven-point Likert scale (Cronbach’s α = 0.91). A representative item was: “The picture demonstrating the feel or texture of the furniture helped me evaluate the tactile attributes of the product” (1 = strongly disagree, 7 = strongly agree), with higher scores indicating stronger tactile perception. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS 26.0, and reliability and manipulation checks were examined using descriptive statistics and independent-samples t-tests.

4.2. Results and Discussion

An independent-samples t-test was conducted to analyze the manipulation check results. Participants in the high tactile-cue condition (M = 5.79, SD = 1.24) reported significantly stronger perceptions of tactile cues than those in the low tactile-cue condition (M = 4.37, SD = 1.14), t (69) = 5.01, p < 0.001, CI_95% [0.86, 1.99]. These findings indicate that the manipulation of visual-based tactile cues was successful. Therefore, the stimuli were employed in the formal experiment of Study 1.

5. Study 1

5.1. Study 1 Method

Study 1 aimed to examine the main effect of visual-based tactile cues (high-detail vs. low-detail) on purchase intention and further investigate the mediating role of immersion. Specifically, we predicted that images with strong tactile cues would increase consumers’ purchase intention (H1), and that this effect would occur indirectly through enhanced immersion (H2).

The sample size for Study 1 was determined using G*Power 3.1 [44]. With an effect size of f = 0.30, α = 0.05, and statistical power of 1 − β = 0.90, the required minimum sample size was 119 participants per group. The experiment was conducted on the Credamo platform from 23 June to 20 August 2025, and a total of 297 participants were recruited. All participants provided informed consent prior to completing the questionnaire and received monetary compensation as an incentive. The platform’s random assignment mechanism ensured balanced allocation across conditions. After excluding responses that failed the attention check, the final valid sample consisted of 297 participants (150 male, 50.5%; 147 female, 49.5%). All analyses other than mediation were conducted using SPSS 26.0, including reliability analysis, descriptive statistics, t-tests, and ANOVA. The mediation analysis was performed using PROCESS Model 4 [45]. Independent-samples t-tests were used to examine simple mean differences between conditions, whereas ANOVA analyses were conducted to test the robustness of the effects and to allow for the inclusion of covariates when necessary.

The experimental materials were the same as those used in the pretest. In the high tactile-cue condition, images presented clear surface wrinkles and textures, enabling participants to infer the tactile attributes of the product. In the low tactile-cue condition, image details were reduced, with smooth surfaces and blurred textures, thereby weakening tactile perception. The pretest had already validated the effectiveness of this manipulation.

The manipulation focused on tactile-diagnostic visual features (e.g., texture visibility and material detail) while maintaining consistent product composition and presentation context across conditions.

After viewing the images, participants completed three sets of measures. First, the manipulation check scale, adapted from previous studies [12,43], included four items (Cronbach’s α = 0.91) [12], such as “The picture demonstrating the feel or texture of the furniture helped me evaluate the tactile attributes of the product.” Second, immersion was measured using the three-item scale from Ahmed et al. (2024) (Cronbach’s α = 0.90) [46], with a sample item: “I felt completely absorbed in the experience.” Third, purchase intention was measured with four items adapted from Laroche et al. (2022) (Cronbach’s α = 0.89) [47], such as “After viewing this picture, I am willing to purchase the product being presented.” All items were rated on a seven-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree, 7 = strongly agree). After completing the main tasks, participants filled out demographic information before finishing the experiment.

5.2. Results of Study 1

5.2.1. Manipulation Check

Results of an independent-samples t-test showed that participants in the high-detail cues reported significantly stronger tactile perception than those in the low-tactile-cue condition (M_High = 4.76, SD = 1.71; M_Low = 3.37, SD = 1.77), t (295) = 6.86, p < 0.001, indicating that the manipulation was effective.

5.2.2. Main Effect in Study 1

As shown in Figure 2, results indicated that purchase intention was significantly higher in the high-detail cues than in the low-detail cues (M_High = 4.71, SD = 1.78; M_Low = 3.28, SD = 1.79), t (295) = 6.91, p < 0.001. Further ANOVA results revealed a significant main effect of tactile cues (F (1, 293) = 47.59, p < 0.001, η² = 0.140), whereas the main effect of gender was not significant (F (1, 293) = 0.54, p = 0.462), and the interaction effect was also nonsignificant (F (1, 293) = 0.02, p = 0.886). Therefore, Hypothesis 1 was supported.

5.2.3. Mediation Effect

As shown in Figure 3, the mediating role of immersion was tested using PROCESS (Model 4) [45]. Results indicated that the direct effect of visual-based tactile cues on purchase intention was significant (effect = 0.55, p < 0.001). Tactile cues significantly and positively predicted immersion (effect = 0.90, p < 0.001), and immersion, in turn, significantly and positively predicted purchase intention (effect = 0.43, p < 0.001). The indirect effect was 0.38, with a CI_95% [0.27, 0.49] that did not include zero, indicating that immersion played a significant mediating role in the relationship and thereby supporting H2.

5.3. Discussion

Study 1 confirmed the positive main effect of visual-based tactile cues on purchase intention and further demonstrated the mediating role of immersion. This suggests that in online consumption environments lacking direct tactile experience, visual cues can indirectly enhance consumers’ purchase intention by evoking immersion. The findings of Study 1 provide a foundation for subsequent research to further examine other mechanisms and boundary conditions.

6. Study 2

Study 2 aimed to further examine the moderating role of cross-modal mental imagery in the effect of visual-based tactile cues. Specifically, we predicted that cross-modal mental imagery would strengthen the effect of visual-based tactile cues on immersion, such that individuals with higher levels of imagery would experience greater immersion (H3). In addition, cross-modal mental imagery was expected to moderate the effect of visual-based tactile cues on purchase intention, with individuals high in imagery reporting stronger purchase intention (H4). Accordingly, Study 2 employed a 2 × 2 between-subjects design: visual-based tactile cues (high vs. low) × cross-modal mental imagery (high vs. low).

6.1. Study 2 Method

A total of 320 participants were recruited through the Credamo platform. After excluding responses that failed the attention check, 301 valid samples were retained. The sample size substantially exceeded the minimum requirement suggested by G*Power 3.1 (N = 90, f = 0.30, α = 0.05, 1 − β = 0.90), thereby ensuring sufficient statistical power. Given that with only 90 participants each cell would have fewer than 25 individuals, the means might be unstable, and it would have been difficult to accurately estimate interaction and mediation effects [48,49]. Therefore, we collected 301 valid responses, with each group containing approximately 75 participants, to ensure the robustness of statistical inference and the reliability of effect estimation. The demographic characteristics of participants (gender, age, education, and online shopping frequency) were relatively balanced, as reported in Appendix B. All measurement items used in the measurement model are presented in Appendix B, Table A2.

The manipulation of visual-based tactile cue richness followed the same procedure as in Study 1. Participants in the high-detail condition viewed furniture images with clear tactile-diagnostic features (e.g., textures and wrinkles), whereas those in the low-detail condition viewed visually comparable images with reduced tactile clarity. The detailed measurement items are presented in Appendix B (see Table A2).

Except for the cross-modal mental imagery scale (Cronbach’s α = 0.93) [50], all other measures were consistent with those used in Study 1: the tactile-cue manipulation check scale (Cronbach’s α = 0.91), the immersion scale (Cronbach’s α = 0.91), and the purchase intention scale (Cronbach’s α = 0.89). The cross-modal mental imagery scale included four items on a seven-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree, 7 = strongly agree). A representative item was: “During the picture-viewing task, I imagined what it would be like to use this furniture.”

The procedure was similar to that of Study 1, with the exception that participants were randomly assigned to one of four experimental conditions. After viewing the stimuli, they completed the tactile-cue manipulation check, the cross-modal mental imagery scale, the immersion scale, and the purchase intention scale, followed by demographic questions before finishing the experiment. All statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS 26.0, and the mediation and moderated mediation analyses were conducted using the PROCESS macro (developed by Andrew F. Hayes, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA). To test the moderated mediation involving cross-modal mental imagery, PROCESS Model 8 was employed, allowing the moderator to influence both the direct and indirect paths [45].

6.2. Results of Study 2

6.2.1. Manipulation Checks

Independent-samples t-tests confirmed the effectiveness of the manipulations. Participants in the high tactile-cue condition reported significantly stronger tactile perception than those in the low tactile-cue condition (M_High = 4.77, SD = 1.77; M_Low = 3.24, SD = 1.76), t = 7.50, p < 0.001. Similarly, participants in the high-imagery condition reported significantly stronger cross-modal mental imagery than those in the low-imagery condition (M_High = 4.70, SD = 1.65; M_Low = 3.22, SD = 1.68), t = 7.73, p < 0.001. The measurement items were adapted from prior tactile diagnosticity scales originally developed in apparel contexts and were revised to ensure consistency with the furniture stimuli used in this study.

6.2.2. Main Effect in Study 2

Purchase intention was significantly higher in the high tactile-cue condition than in the low tactile-cue condition (M_High = 4.76, SD =1.81; M_Low = 3.56, SD = 1.41), t = 6.38, p < 0.001, supporting H1.

Two-way ANOVA on purchase intention revealed a significant main effect of tactile cues, F (1, 297) = 33.13, p < 0.001, η² = 0.10, and a significant main effect of cross-modal mental imagery, F (1, 297) = 4.88, p = 0.028, η² = 0.02. The interaction effect was marginally significant, F (1, 297) = 3.00, p = 0.085, η² = 0.01. Further analysis showed that tactile cues significantly increased purchase intention under both high- and low-imagery conditions. However, the effect of cross-modal mental imagery was significant only in the low tactile-cue condition (β = 0.58, p = 0.028) but nonsignificant in the high tactile-cue condition (p = 0.813).

6.2.3. Mediation Analysis

Using PROCESS Model 4 with 5000 bootstraps [45], results indicated that tactile cues significantly predicted immersion (β = 0.67, p < 0.001), and immersion significantly predicted purchase intention (β = 0.58, p < 0.001). The direct effect of tactile cues on purchase intention remained significant (β = 0.32, p < 0.001). The indirect effect was 0.39 (CI95% [0.32, 0.46]), excluding zero, indicating that immersion partially mediated the relationship, thereby supporting H2.

Moderation analysis on immersion. As shown in Figure 4, a two-way ANOVA revealed a significant interaction effect of tactile cues and cross-modal mental imagery on immersion, F (1, 297) = 6.47, p < 0.01, η² = 0.03. Simple effects analysis showed that tactile cues significantly increased immersion under both high- and low-imagery conditions, but the effect was stronger in the low-imagery group. These results provide partial support for H3.

Moderated mediation on purchase intention. Using PROCESS Model 8, we tested the conditional indirect effect [37]. As shown in Figure 5, the indirect effect of tactile cues on purchase intention through immersion was significant at both levels of cross-modal mental imagery; however, the effect was stronger in the low-imagery condition (high-imagery: effect = 0.29, CI_95% [0.21, 0.38]; low-imagery: effect = 0.39, CI_95% [0.30, 0.48]). The moderated mediation index was significant (index = −0.024, CI_95% [−0.039, −0.009]), supporting H4.

6.3. Discussion

The results of Study 2 provided strong empirical support for the proposed model. First, H1 was supported: high tactile cues significantly increased purchase intention, indicating that visual-based tactile cues can directly enhance consumers’ purchase tendencies. Second, the PROCESS analysis confirmed H2, revealing that immersion partially mediated this relationship, such that tactile cues indirectly increased purchase intention by enhancing immersion. Third, H3 received partial support. Cross-modal mental imagery moderated the effect of tactile cues on immersion, and the effect was stronger under the low-imagery condition, suggesting that individuals with lower imagery ability rely more on external cues to achieve immersion. Finally, H4 was supported, as cross-modal mental imagery further moderated the mediating pathway. The indirect effect of tactile cues on purchase intention through immersion was significant under both high- and low-imagery conditions but was stronger in the low-imagery condition.

Overall, Study 2 demonstrated that visual-based tactile cues influence purchase intention both directly and indirectly through immersion, with cross-modal mental imagery determining the strength of this mechanism. These findings refine the psychological explanation of tactile effects in touch-absent shopping contexts and clarify the boundary role of individual differences.

7. General Discussion

7.1. Summary of Findings

This study addresses the long-standing challenge of tactile absence in online shopping and investigates whether visual-based tactile cues can compensate for the lack of physical touch. We found that rich tactile cues not only directly increased consumers’ purchase intention (H1) but also exerted an indirect effect through enhanced immersion (H2). This suggests that when consumers feel more engaged and present in experiencing the product, they are more willing to make purchase decisions. Meanwhile, cross-modal mental imagery emerged as a critical individual difference: consumers with higher levels of imagery ability were more capable of generating immersive experiences from visual cues (H3), thereby amplifying the compensatory effect of tactile cues and influencing purchase intention (H4). Overall, this study reveals how visual-based tactile cues build a bridge between “missing touch” and “real purchase decisions,” and demonstrates that this compensatory mechanism is not universally applicable but contingent on consumers’ psychological traits. Compared with existing studies, we not only emphasize the central role of immersion in multisensory consumption but also enrich theoretical explanations of tactile compensation and mental simulation.

Within this framework, the study first confirmed that strong visual-based tactile cues significantly enhance consumers’ purchase intention. This result indicates that in the context of online furniture retail, vivid and detailed tactile cues can effectively reduce uncertainty caused by the lack of touch, thereby strengthening purchase confidence. This conclusion aligns with findings from similar research [12], which demonstrated that tactile-compensatory videos improve tactile diagnosticity, and resonates with previous research [26], which showed that visual metaphors can achieve tactile compensation across product types. Unlike prior studies that largely remained at the level of single-sensory compensation [31,51], this research further highlights the direct impact of purchase intention

Following the confirmation of the main effect, the mediating role of immersion was examined. Results revealed that the reason visual-based tactile cues enhance purchase intention lies in their ability to increase immersion, allowing consumers to experience presence and realism even without direct touch. This finding is consistent with previous research [52], which emphasized the role of cross-sensory integration in improving experiences, and also supports similar previous research [9], which suggested that interactive interfaces improve experiences by enhancing immersion. Moreover, this study addresses the limitation which identified the behavioral impact of tactile feedback but did not explain the underlying psychological process [53]. By demonstrating the mediating role of immersion, this study uncovers the core pathway linking visual-based tactile cues, immersion, and purchase intention. Thus, immersion functions as a key bridge connecting visual compensation with consumer decision-making.

Further analyses revealed the moderating effect of cross-modal mental imagery. Results indicated that the level of cross-modal mental imagery determines the strength of the compensatory effect: consumers high in cross-modal mental imagery more readily transform visual information into tactile simulations, which significantly enhances both immersion and purchase intention. This finding is consistent with previous research which showed that emotional states shape sensory reliance [54], and extends related research which identified differences in need for touch as influencing advertising persuasiveness [55].

Importantly, the moderating effect of cross-modal mental imagery received partial rather than full support. This suggests that while individuals with higher imagery ability more readily transform visual cues into tactile simulations, rich visual tactile cues may also function as an external compensatory scaffold for consumers with lower imagery ability. Thus, visual tactile detail appears to operate both as an imagery amplifier and as a substitute for limited imagery capacity in touch-absent contexts.

Although the present research focuses on furniture as a tactile-dependent product category, the proposed mechanism may extend to other categories in which tactile judgment plays a critical role, such as apparel, cosmetics, and consumer electronics. In these contexts, visual-based tactile cues may similarly compensate for the absence of physical touch by facilitating mental simulation and immersion. This cross-category relevance strengthens the generalizability of the proposed framework and positions the findings within a broader digital retail context.

7.2. Theoretical Implications

This study makes several theoretical contributions to research on sensory marketing, visual–tactile interaction, and online consumer decision-making. Specifically, this research advances prior tactile compensation and immersion literature by conceptualizing visual-based tactile cue richness as a graded sensory dimension, identifying immersion as the core mechanism linking visual tactile detail to purchase intention in low-immersion online interfaces, and revealing the dual role of visual tactile cues as both an imagery amplifier and an external perceptual scaffold across consumers with different levels of cross-modal mental imagery.

First, by focusing on the level of detail richness in visual-based tactile cues, this research moves beyond the dominant binary paradigm of “presence vs. absence” or “congruence vs. incongruence” in prior visual–tactile studies [23,24]. Existing literature generally suggests that the absence of touch undermines consumers’ purchase intention [12,26]. However, existing models have seldom treated tactile cue richness as a continuous sensory dimension. More importantly, our findings qualify a key assumption implied by attention-based and information overload accounts—namely, that additional detail primarily functions as a cognitive burden that reduces decision quality [56]. In touch-absent, high-touch dependency contexts, richer visual tactile detail can instead operate as a compensatory sensory signal that reduces uncertainty and facilitates decision-making [12,24]. This finding is consistent with research indicating that visual presentation functions as a persuasive cue in digital commerce, shaping consumers’ evaluations and engagement behaviors, while higher visual quality can enhance perceived product attributes and processing fluency [9]. By conceptualizing visual tactile richness as a graded construct and demonstrating its constructive role under tactile deprivation, this study refines theoretical precision in cross-modal perception research and clarifies the contextual boundary conditions under which “more information” may be helpful rather than harmful in digital retail environments. Prior research has shown that both enriched visual presentation (e.g., AR) and concrete textual information enhance consumers’ mental imagery and perceived informativeness, thereby improving purchase intention [51].

Second, this study advances embodied cognition theory by identifying immersion as the key psychological mechanism linking visual tactile detail to purchase intention. Whereas prior literature has primarily discussed immersion in VR or gaming contexts [36], immersive retail environments such as augmented reality have been shown to enhance consumer satisfaction and behavioral responses through heightened immersion [57]. Our findings demonstrate that immersion can also operate in low-immersion digital interfaces. This perspective is consistent with research on visual narrative strategies showing that structured visual storytelling and interactive presentation can substantially enhance audience engagement and immersive responses even outside fully immersive environments [58]. Similarly, research in live-streaming and interactive commerce contexts suggests that both social interaction and perceived interactivity foster immersion, which subsequently drives purchase intention and engagement [59,60]. This extends embodied cognition theory from spatial presence to sensory presence, clarifying how mental simulation substitutes for missing physical feedback in online consumption. Moreover, the multi-study experimental approach adopted in this research strengthens the identification of causal mechanisms and boundary conditions, consistent with recommendations emphasizing methodological rigor and multi-source validation in theory development [61]. This perspective also resonates with evidence that immersive experiential states play a central role in driving hedonic consumption and emotional engagement in digital environments [62].

Finally, this study identifies the boundary role of cross-modal mental imagery. Although individual differences have long been recognized in tactile compensation research [54,55], the mechanism has remained inconsistent, with some even reporting contradictory results [63]. The current findings demonstrate that consumers high in cross-modal mental imagery are more capable of transforming visual information into tactile simulations, thereby experiencing stronger immersion and higher purchase intention. This is consistent with prior research showing that mental imagery can substitute for direct product experience by enabling sensory simulation, while vivid imagery enhances experiential realism and situational engagement during evaluation [15,16]. Conversely, for those low in imagery ability, the effect is relatively weaker. These results reconcile inconsistencies in the literature and delineate the boundary conditions under which visual-based tactile cues operate, thus providing a more nuanced theoretical contribution to sensory marketing research. Beyond identifying empirical relationships, the contribution of the present findings lies in revealing a theoretically meaningful and counterintuitive mechanism, aligning with calls for research to demonstrate contribution through insightful theoretical storytelling rather than merely reporting statistical effects [64].

7.3. Managerial Implications

This study provides several actionable implications for e-commerce platforms and digital retailers.

First, the findings demonstrate that the richness of visual tactile detail is not merely an esthetic choice but a strategic factor shaping consumer confidence and purchase intention in touch-absent shopping environments. Online retailers should therefore avoid excessive image standardization and instead emphasize authentic material cues—such as fabric folds, surface textures, or reflective variations—that convey tactile meaning and foster sensory engagement.

Second, the results reveal that immersion serves as a critical psychological driver of online purchasing. To enhance immersion, retailers can incorporate interactive product displays (e.g., zoom-in functions, 3D rotation, or contextual product scenes) that allow consumers to mentally simulate touch and usage. Such visual–tactile engagement not only reduces uncertainty but also strengthens emotional trust toward the brand.

Third, the moderating role of cross-modal mental imagery suggests that consumer heterogeneity should be recognized in visual design. Retailers can adopt segmented interface strategies: for consumers high in imaginative ability, providing detailed textures and dynamic displays can maximize engagement; for those low in imagination, platforms should integrate external trust cues—such as verified user reviews, comparative videos, or expert endorsements—to compensate for limited mental simulation.

Collectively, these insights encourage a shift from purely informational or esthetic presentation toward sensory-centered interface design. By aligning the richness of visual detail with consumers’ imaginative characteristics, online retailers can create more inclusive, confidence-enhancing, and conversion-oriented digital experiences—promoting both commercial effectiveness and consumer well-being.

Notably, these implications are also applicable to small and medium-sized enterprises with limited marketing budgets. Rather than relying on costly immersive technologies, SMEs can enhance perceived tactile richness through relatively low-cost visual strategies, such as emphasizing close-up textures, material folds, and contextual detail photography. This suggests that tactile compensation can serve as an accessible and cost-effective design approach for improving consumer confidence and conversion under resource constraints.

8. Limitation and Future Research

Despite the theoretical and practical contributions of this study, several limitations should be acknowledged. These limitations not only call for cautious interpretation of the findings but also provide avenues for future research. In addition, although the experimental design reduces common method bias by separating stimulus exposure and response measurement, self-reported perceptual measures may still introduce residual common method variance. Future research could incorporate behavioral indicators or multi-source data to further enhance methodological robustness.

Beyond methodological considerations, the sampling strategy also introduces boundary conditions. The sample was drawn from consumers on a specific platform (Credamo), which may impose cultural and market constraints. Consumers across different cultural contexts vary in their sensitivity to immersion and trust cues [65]. Future research could adopt cross-cultural designs with multi-region and diverse samples to test the stability and applicability of immersion and cross-modal mental imagery across markets.

Another limitation concerns ecological validity. This study primarily employed experimental designs to validate causal pathways. Although experiments strengthen internal validity, they are limited in external validity [66]. In real shopping environments, consumer decisions are often influenced by multiple factors such as time pressure, social interactions, and recommendation algorithms. Future research could combine field experiments or big data analyses to test the applicability of the proposed model in naturalistic contexts, thereby enhancing the external validity of the conclusions.

Beyond methodological considerations, the present research is also subject to conceptual and contextual limitations that define the boundary conditions of tactile compensation in online environments. The proposed model does not incorporate potentially relevant factors such as need for touch, perceived diagnosticity of visual information, or product familiarity, which may influence consumers’ reliance on visual tactile cues and the strength of immersion. Moreover, the effectiveness of tactile-diagnostic visual detail may vary across product categories with different levels of tactile dependency. While the compensatory role of visual tactile cues is likely to be stronger for high-touch products such as apparel and furniture, it may be attenuated for categories with lower tactile relevance (e.g., digital services). Finally, although the manipulation focused on tactile-diagnostic visual features, certain aspects of general image quality may remain inherently intertwined with tactile perception in realistic online shopping contexts. Future research could further isolate tactile-diagnostic cues through more controlled visual editing techniques, incorporate additional perceptual measures, and examine tactile dependency as a contextual moderator to refine the boundary conditions of tactile compensation mechanisms.