Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

Date of Award

5-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Department

Business Administration

Committee Chair

Brian Hochstein, Ph.D.

Abstract

Online animal shelter platforms have become a primary channel through which potential adopters view and evaluate adoptable animals, yet many users do not progress from online engagement to visiting a physical shelter. The dissertation examines how online pet viewing translates into intention to book a shelter visit by focusing on the roles of psychological distance and persuasive influence cues within a high-involvement decision context. Drawing on Construal Level Theory and persuasion research, a sequential process is proposed in which sustained interaction with pet profiles reduces distance-related abstraction, increasing receptivity to influence cues that facilitate movement from initial assessment to action.

Data were collected through an online survey of 315 adults recruited via Prolific who expressed interest in animal shelter adoption platforms. The proposed model was tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling to examine direct and indirect relationships among the focal constructs. Results indicate that reduced psychological distance and greater responsiveness to persuasive influence cues are associated with stronger booking intentions, with a significant sequential mediation effect supporting the proposed pathway. These results help clarify how reductions in psychological distance and activating persuasive influence cues jointly govern the progression from online evaluation to offline action in digital adoption decisions.

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