Owing to the unique dynamics of user interaction in virtual reality (VR), this study investigated how the determinants of compliance in conventional persuasive systems similarly affect compliance in VR. Compliance was measured subjectively and objectively in a persuasive VR environment. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to analyze data from 231 users of the environment. The results showed that credibility support strongly predicted perceived competence, while social support had only a negligible effect. Both primary task support and dialogue support significantly influenced perceived effectiveness, albeit with weak effect sizes. Perceived effectiveness exerted a stronger effect on perceived enjoyment than perceived competence, and perceived enjoyment strongly predicted perceived persuasiveness, which in turn significantly influenced perceived compliance. However, perceived compliance did not align with actual compliance. This highlights an intention–behavior gap. Overall, the findings confirm the transferability of compliance drivers from conventional persuasive systems to VR.

Although behavior change support systems (BCSS) have the potential to improve compliance using persuasive software features, there is a dearth of empirical evidence on how these features impact perceived compliance. This study aimed to investigate how and to what extent the persuasiv systems design (PSD) principles in physical activity BCSS influence perceived compliance. Quantitative data from 403 participants (165 users and 238 prospective users of BCSS designed for PA) was analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Results revealed differences in how the PSD principles impact perceived compliance between users and prospective users. Perceptions of dialogue support, credibility support, and social support were more relevant to prospective users than to users. Thus, designers should pay more attention to these principles to attract and engage prospective users of BCSS. Conversely, primary task support was more relevant to users than to prospective users. This indicates that once prospective users transition to active users, the focus should shift towards providing persuasive features that facilitate the performance of the primary task. These findings underscore the importance of developing intelligent BCSS that can adapt to the evolving needs and preferences of users at different stages of their interactions with a system.

With rapid digital innovation, social support strategies are increasingly embedded in Academic Social Networking Sites (ASNSs) to shape user perceptions and behaviors. However, limited empirical research has examined how these strategies influence users’ credibility perceptions and behavioral intentions. Credibility, a key factor driving participation on ASNSs, remains underexplored in this context. This study investigates the role of seven social support strategies within the Persuasive System Design (PSD) framework. It examines their effect on credibility perceptions, as well as the effects of credibility on perceived persuasiveness and continuous use intentions. Using data from 255 ASNS users and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), results show that several social support strategies significantly shape perceived social learning, which strongly influences credibility perceptions. Additionally, perceived persuasiveness mediates the relationship between perceived credibility and continuous use intention. The findings offer practical insights for designing ASNSs that enhance credibility, persuasiveness, and sustained engagement.

Given the positive impact of virtual reality (VR) learning environments on students’ learning satisfaction, it is imperative to identify the key features within these environments that contribute to such satisfaction. This study examined how persuasive features enhance students’ learning satisfaction via psychological outcomes within a persuasive immersive virtual reality learning environment (IVRLE). Using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), quantitative data obtained from 115 IVRLE users were analyzed. The results show that by leveraging persuasive features, such as unobtrusiveness, design aesthetics, primary task support, credibility support, dialog support, and perceived persuasiveness, educators can create immersive learning environments that effectively engage students cognitively and emotionally, thereby enhancing learning satisfaction. Among the direct determinants of students’ learning satisfaction, perceived enjoyment exhibited the strongest impact. These results underscore the relevance of designing VR learning environments as persuasive educational environments that shape learning behaviors and also caters to the psychological needs of students.

This study investigates how users’ perception of persuasive social support features influences perceptions of their health competence in health and fitness apps. Within the support of existing theories/frameworks on social support, the study develops a research model and hypotheses. Quantitative data was collected from 469 health and fitness app users and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modelling. The results demonstrates that providing users with a means to share their experiences out of the desire to boost their ego and gain social recognition as well as a means to learn new behaviors by observing and imitating other’s behaviors within the app increases their confidence in their capabilities to perform and maintain positive health and fitness behaviors and outcomes using the app. The findings suggest that users’ perception of their health competence can be significantly improved when social support features are incorporated into health and fitness apps.

With technology being ubiquitous in our daily lives, it is crucial to understand the factors that influence their perceived credibility. In the current research, we focus on the design of Academic Social Networking Sites (ASNSs). In order to facilitate continuous adoption and use of ASNSs, it is important to understand the factors that determine their Perceived Credibility. Using the Persuasive System Design (PSD) framework as a foundation, the study investigated which of these four key constructs (i.e. Perceived Aesthetics, Perceived Usability, Perceived Usefulness and Perceived Primary Task Support) are the most relevant determinants of the Perceived Credibility of ASNSs. In an online survey, the current research assessed this research model. The results of Partial Least Square analyses confirmed that Perceived Aesthetics, Perceived Usefulness and Perceived Primary Task Support are determinants of Perceived Credibility but provided no evidence for Perceived Usability as a determinant. Moreover, the results showed that Perceived Primary Task Support was the most relevant determinant of Perceived Credibility. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Social networking sites enable people to connect, communicate and share ideas. These sites have therefore become key for information sharing. Particularly, academics and researchers have adopted them for networking and collaborations. This study seeks to investigate how embedded persuasive features on social networking sites designed for academics and researchers affect continuous use intention. The study adopted an existing model for assessing the effectiveness of persuasive features on systems and sampled 416 participants who are engaged in academic research and analyzed their responses. The results indicate that Social Support, Computer–Human Dialogue Support and Primary Task Support significantly impact how users perceive social networking sites designed for effective academic work. Contrary to existing knowledge that Perceived Credibility, Perceived Effectiveness, Perceived Effort and Perceived Social Support all impact an individual’s Intention to Continuous Use of a system, only Perceived Credibility was observed to impact Intention to Use continuously. The findings also proved that affective ties and mutual support on academic social networking sites influence behaviour.

In recent years, there has been keen interest in the area of Internet of Things connected underground, and with this is the need to fully understand and characterize their operating environment. In this paper, a model, based on the Peplinski principle, for the propagation of waves in soils that takes into account losses attributable to the presence of local inhomogeneity is proposed. In the work, it is assumed that the inhomogeneities are obstacles such as stones or pebbles, of moderate size, all identical and randomly distributed in space. A new wave number is obtained through a combination of the multiple scattering theory and the Peplinski principle. Since the latter principle considers the propagation in a homogeneous medium (without obstacles), the wave number it provides is inserted into the one resulting from the former, the multiple scattering theory. The effective wave number thus obtained is compared numerically with that of Peplinski alone on the one hand and with that of multiple scattering alone on the other hand. The phase velocity and the loss tangent are analyzed against the particle concentration at the low‐frequency Rayleigh limit condition (ka≲0.1) and against the frequency at two particle concentrations (c = 0.2 and c = 0.4), two particle radii (a = 0.55 cm and a = 1.10 cm), and 5% and 50% volumetric water content of the soil. Path losses are also compared to each other to examine the effects on transmission of soil containing obstacles. The results obtained suggest that the proposed model has better accuracy in estimating the wave number than previously used schemes.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to determine which factors influence information system security policy compliance. It examines how different norms influence compliance intention. Design/methodology/approach Based on relevant literature on information system security policy compliance, a research model was developed and validated. An online questionnaire was used to gather data from respondents and partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyse 432 responses received. Findings The results indicated that attitude towards information security compliance mediates the effects of personal norms on compliance intention. In addition, descriptive and subjective norms are significant predictors of personal norms. Originality/value Though advancement in technology has reached significant heights, it is still inadequate to guaranteed information systems’ security. Researchers have identified humans to be central in ensuring information security. To this effect, this study provides empirical evidence of the role of norms in influence information security behaviour.