A Hybrid SEM-ANN Approach for Intention to Adopt Metaverse Using C-TAM-TPB and IDT in China

The study aims to identify factors affecting university students' intention to adopt the metaverse due to the 4th industrial revolution and the COVID-19 pandemic in China, based on the integration of C-TAM-TPB model and IDT theory. A questionnaire survey was conducted on university students for data collection, as the metaverse is expected to be actively used or developed by them in future. A sample of 441 valid data was analysed by T-test and SEM-ANN analysis. Results show that subjective norm, attitude, compatibility, perceived usefulness, and relative advantages significantly affect Chinese university students' metaverse adoption intention, except for perceived behavioural control. Subjective norm holds the highest influence, while compatibility ranks the lowest. Perceived risk negatively moderates the relationship between relative advantage and adoption intention. There is no significant difference exists in different gender groups and experience groups for Chinese university students' metaverse adoption intention.