Effect of Social Media Addiction on e-WoM Intention in Hotel Choice: The Role of Narcissism, Conspicuous Consumption and Materialism
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21325/jotags.2025.1761Keywords:
Social media addiction, e-WoM, Narcissism, Conspicuous consumption, MaterialismAbstract
This study examines the effect of tourists’ social media addiction on their intention to use electronic word-of-mouth (e-WoM) in the hotel selection process. In addition, within the framework of Self-Determination Theory, the study analyzes the sequential mediating roles of narcissism, conspicuous consumption, and materialism in this relationship. Narcissism, conspicuous consumption, and materialism are conceptualized as mediators representing the psychological needs of competence, relatedness, and autonomy, respectively. Data were collected from 441 tourists in Türkiye through an online survey, using measurement scales validated in previous studies. The research model was tested using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings indicate that social media addiction has a significant and positive effect on tourists’ intention to use e-WoM. Moreover, both mediation pathways—narcissism → materialism and narcissism → conspicuous consumption → materialism—were found to be statistically significant. Overall, the results demonstrate that tourists’ e-WoM intentions are shaped not only by their level of social media use but also by underlying psychological needs, offering important theoretical contributions and practical implications for hotel managers seeking to enhance their e-WoM strategies.
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