{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,30]],"date-time":"2026-01-30T22:55:25Z","timestamp":1769813725278,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":56,"publisher":"Emerald","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2011,1,28]],"date-time":"2011-01-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1296172800000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/site-policies"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2011,1,28]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Purpose<\/jats:title><jats:p>Human needs and motivation are a central tenet of marketing discourse. In this exploratory study we attempt to understand the factors that drive individuals' higher\u2010order human needs in a relatively new electronic marketing context, that of virtual worlds.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Design\/methodology\/approach<\/jats:title><jats:p>The study employs the higher\u2010order needs from Abraham Maslow's hierarchy (i.e. belonging, esteem and self\u2010actualization) and a series of drivers related to the characteristics of the virtual world medium, personality characteristics, channel interaction, and demographic criteria. Data is collected via a survey delivered in Second Life (<jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>=404) and analyzed using PLS path modeling.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Findings<\/jats:title><jats:p>Arousal, pleasure, and individualism act as particularly potent drivers of higher\u2010order needs in virtual world channels, while channel intensity, affinity for technology and gender act as lesser drivers.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Practical implications<\/jats:title><jats:p>An understanding of personal motivations affords us an insight into consumers' needs and wants and is a useful precursor to targeting them and in effectively fulfilling these needs. This has implications not only in a single channel but across multiple channels.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Originality\/value<\/jats:title><jats:p>This study represents one of the first attempts to better understand consumer behavior in virtual world channels, and, by so doing, better inform our understanding of personal needs in the modern multi\u2010channel environment.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1108\/10662241111139291","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2011,7,25]],"date-time":"2011-07-25T11:49:57Z","timestamp":1311594597000},"page":"236-254","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":39,"title":["Who needs cyberspace? Examining drivers of needs in Second Life"],"prefix":"10.1108","volume":"21","author":[{"given":"Stuart J.","family":"Barnes","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Andrew D.","family":"Pressey","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"140","reference":[{"key":"key2022021219541731000_b1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Agarwal, R. and Karahanna, E. (2000), \u201cTime flies when you're having fun: cognitive absorption and beliefs about information technology usage\u201d, MIS Quarterly, Vol. 24 No. 14, pp. 665\u201094.","DOI":"10.2307\/3250951"},{"key":"key2022021219541731000_b2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Agarwal, R. and Prasad, J. 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