LAUSR

This study develops a scale to measure individual differences in the centrality of visual website aesthetics (CVWA) and then examines the impact of the CVWA on users’ responses. Drawing on the concept of individual differences in the centrality of product aesthetics (CVPA), we conducted a series of three experiments to examine the CVWA. In the first experiment, the CVPA measure was used to assess online users’ CVWA and test the CVWA’s effects on online user responses, which included perceived visual appeal, trust, and intention to use the websites. In the second experiment, the CVWA measure was developed and validated. Finally, in the third experiment, the effects of the CVWA were examined using the CVWA measure. Overall, our findings suggest that the moderating effects of the CVWA are strong when users interact with websites with a high level of visual appeal and when the CVWA is captured using the CVWA measure.