Not all information helps equally: context determines what supports effective action. This Situated Action principle might matter for Augmented Reality (AR), as different designs might be used in response to different user states. Accordingly, we investigate how stress and guidance level jointly influence performance and acceptance through a 2 2 experiment ( ) in AR-assisted assembly. Participants underwent stress induction or relaxation before using AR applications with high (step-by-step) or low (level-based) guidance. Our findings challenge simple stress-regulation models: guidance level reconfigured the pathways to outcomes. Under high guidance, stress predicted faster completion but reduced hedonic motivation and acceptance. Under low guidance, performance decoupled from stress, with utilitarian and hedonic motivations driving both efficiency and reuse intention. Structural equation modeling supports these guidance-contingent mechanisms. By introducing a Situated Action perspective, we demonstrate that different AR applications can reshape how tasks are solved, potentially impacting AR application design as well as future context-adaptive and pervasive AR systems. These implications are discussed. Our study offers a theoretical basis for hypothesis development and advances theory on how AR shapes user behavior.

Augmented reality (AR) merges virtual elements with our physical context. Although there is evidence in marketing that AR may be superior to alternative formats, there is a lack of work explaining from the ground up why this is the case. Consequently, we applied means-end chain theory to identify specific AR-features (e.g., contextualization, interactivity, portability) that drive benefits (e.g., inspiration, better decision-making, time savings, risk reduction). These benefits contribute to consumers’ goal achievement (e.g., self-confidence, self-expression, reduced purchase regret). A subsequent study organized these factors into a practical framework (SEAD and SALES). This study contributes to a better understanding of AR.

Museums have shown keen interest in providing XR experiences, in particular, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), as part of their exhibitions. However, little is known about how visitors feel about such experiences and how exposure to them affects visitor interest in topics. In this study, the authors conducted a pre/post-usage survey among visitors at a museum with VR installation. Four research models were compared to determine the most suitable model for studying gratifications. Our results showed that visitors expect to be entertained, yet they are less entertained than expected. VR provides positive learning effects, and scholars can rely on post-usage measures to assess the experience.

Many social media users include #-signs before particular terms on social media – which is termed hashtagging. Recent research indicates that people tend to use the pound key for uncommon words, including ‘artistic’ words that are unlikely to serve functional purposes, and that cultural differences in hashtagging styles exist. The current study examines characteristics of hashtags and the impact of individual cultural values on hashtagging behaviour. Findings reveal four dimensions of hashtags, concluding that hashtags can be inspirational, structural, entertaining, and artistic. Second, findings show that hashtags are used to structure content equally independent of cultural values. However, inspirational hashtags are common among users with collectivistic, uncertainty avoidant, and masculine cultural values. Moreover, collectivistic and masculine values are also associated with artistic hashtags – whereas uncertainty avoidance is related to entertaining hashtags. In addition, findings show that cultural values associated with power distance relate to a higher hashtagging intensity.