隨著電子商務的蓬勃發展，網路商店已成為現代人最常進行購物的場所之一，只是網路購物始終無法使消費者真正地觸摸到商品，消費者難以對網路商店所販售的商品做出評價。認知心理學領域的研究指出，心像(imagery)是一種當下未被知覺，卻可以在心裡想像的能力，因此在網路購物的環境之中消費者是否可以透過心像的概念來使得消費者產生實質觸摸般的體會進而影響產品態度是本研究想要探討的方向。此外，部分研究指出每個人對於觸摸的重視程度皆不同，故本研究加入了觸覺需求(need for touch)作為自變數，探討NFT的高低分別會對觸覺心像及產品態度產生何種影響。本研究執行實驗設計，操弄觸覺資訊並衡量觸覺心像、觸覺需求以及產品態度，實驗中募集120名成功受試者，結果發現，網路購物環境中，當使用觸覺資訊時產生的觸覺心像顯著高於沒有使用觸覺資訊時的觸覺心像；高NFT的消費者當使用觸覺文字資訊產生觸覺心像，期觸覺心像和產品態度呈正相關；而低NFT的消費者當使用觸覺文字資訊和觸覺圖片資訊產生觸覺心像，其觸覺心像和產品態度間沒有顯著關係。
As e-commerce develops rapidly, online stores have become places where contemporary people make purchases most frequently. However, because consumers cannot really touch the products in online purchases, it is difficult for consumers to evaluate products sold in online stores. Studies in cognitive psychology show that imagery is an ability that is not perceived at the moment, but can be imagined in the mind. In this study, we explore whether imagery concepts may be used to provide consumers with a realistic touch-like experience in an online purchase environment, which can affect the consumers’ attitude toward a product. In addition, some studies indicate that each person’s emphasis on touch is different. Thus, we added the need for touch (NFT) as an independent variable to explore how different levels of NFT affect touch imagery and attitude toward products. In this study, we implemented the experiment design to manipulated touch information and balance touch imagery, need for touch, and product attitude. 120 subjects were recruited for the experiment. The result shows that in an online purchase environment, the touch imagery produced with touch information was significantly higher than that produced without touch information. The touch imagery produced in high NFT consumers who use touch text information shows a positive correlation with the product attitude. The touch imagery produced in low NFT consumers who use touch text information and touch picture information did not show a significant correlation to product attitude.
