Institute of Art Design + Technology
Dún Laoghaire

Nicoleta Jingan 

BSc [Hons] Applied Psychology

Hi there, my name is Nicoleta Jingan. I am a recent graduate of Applied Psychology here at IADT, specializing in the technology pathway. I thoroughly enjoyed this course and the technology pathway. I completed my thesis on the relationships between online risk perception, attitudes towards online shopping, and online purchase intention. I am specifically interested in digital design. I am excited to begin gaining some more experience in the real world and hopefully start a career in UX design or product management. Please feel free to contact me through LinkedIn if needed.

Project Description

My final year major research project investigated the relationships between attitudes towards online shopping, online risk perception, and online purchase intention. An online survey was designed to collect data from Irish individuals. 119 participants took part in my study: 33 male, 79 female, and 7 non-binary or other. 93% of participants were within the 18–29 age range. The participants completed both the Perceived Risks of Online Shopping Scale (PROSS) and the Online Shopping Attitude Scale (OSAS). A multiple regression was used to analyse the data collected.


Project Objectives

The main objective of my study was to address the gap in the existing literature regarding attitudes, risk perception, and online purchase intention for Irish online customers. Previous literature suggests that risk perception has a direct impact on attitudes and an indirect impact on purchase intention, and that attitudes towards online shopping highly influence purchase intention and behaviour. Most of this research has been conducted in Asia; therefore, my study will conduct a similar study in Ireland, which can be used to identify any differences.


Project Outcomes

Overall, the results of my study did indicate that there were differences in the relationships between attitudes, risk perception, and online purchase intention between online consumers in Asia and Ireland. There was a difference in the correlations between these variables. This suggests that risk perception is not a significant contributor to purchase intention and that attitude is the only significant contributor with an effect of 42% on purchase intention. This study is consistent with underlying theories, and the results could benefit businesses which rely on online shopping for success with a target audience within Ireland.


Thesis Title

Investigating the relationships between attitudes, online risk perception, and online purchase intention.