The effect of social media interaction on consumer engagement: The role of psychological ownership

Abstract

Social media interaction plays a crucial role in shaping consumer–brand relationships and enhancing engagement behavior. Drawing on social exchange theory, this study investigates how social media interaction fosters psychological ownership, thereby strengthening consumer engagement. An online questionnaire survey is conducted among 590 social media users via the Wenjuanxing platform to collect empirical data, which is analysed using a structural equation model. The results show that consumer–consumer interaction and consumer–seller interaction are positively related to four dimensions of consumer engagement: purchases, referrals, influence, and knowledge. In addition, psychological ownership mediates the effects of consumer–consumer interaction and consumer–seller interaction on influence and knowledge. The study also shows that the professionalism of opinion leaders positively moderates the impact of consumer–seller interaction on psychological ownership. This study contributes to theory by clarifying the psychological mechanisms underlying social media interaction and providing actionable insights for companies seeking to enhance consumer engagement and improve marketing performance.