Abstract
This study aims to explore how the reverse gender characteristics of male anchors in the live streaming consumption field attract female consumers and influence their purchasing behavior. Based on the interpersonal attraction theory and the Pleasure-Arousal-Dominance (PAD) three-dimensional emotion model, the male anchor’s physical attractiveness, verbal attractiveness, femininity and masculinity are taken as independent variables, female consumers’ sense of pleasure, arousal and dominance are taken as mediating variables, social presence is taken as a moderating variable, and female consumers’ purchase intention is taken as the dependent variable, thus proposing research hypotheses and models. The study used structural equation modeling (SEM) to verify the hypotheses using empirical data from 443 female consumers. Research results show that the reverse-gender characteristics of male anchors not only have a significant positive impact directly on the PAD three-dimensional emotion model, but also affect female consumers’ purchase intention through the mediating effect of the PAD model. Social presence plays a positive moderating role in the relationship between female consumers’ sense of arousal and purchase intention. The study expands the application of gender reverse marketing-related theories in live e-commerce scenarios and provides targeted reference suggestions for e-commerce anchors, Multi-Channel Network (MCN) agencies and merchants.
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Data availability
The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are available in the [Suzhou University of Technology] Institutional Repository (URL: https://webvpn.szut.edu.cn/https/77726476706). Access to the data is granted under the following conditions: (1) Data are publicly available (if fully open-access);
OR (2) Data are accessible upon request to researchers who complete a data access agreement (DAA) with [Suzhou University of Technology] (contact: [Jiaohui Yu/yujiaohui19@sdjzu.edu.cn]).
Note: All requests must comply with [Relevant Regulation, e.g., GDPR, HIPAA] and institutional policies.
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Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Professor Junbin Wang for his guidance throughout the research process and his constructive feedback on the manuscript. Any errors or omissions in this paper are the sole responsibility of the authors. No, this research did not receive funding.
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XS, JY and MH wrote the main manuscript text, ZL, YS, and WR collected data, conducted the investigation, and XS prepared figs. 1–4. All authors reviewed the manuscript.
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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The questionnaire and methodology for this study were approved by the Internal Review Board (IRB) of the Suzhou University of Technology Ethics Committee (Former Changshu Institute of Technology), Ethics approval number: 202500022. Approval data: 2025.03.10.
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All respondents voluntarily participated in the “Does the handsome man trap work? A study on the impact of male anchors’ reverse gender traits on female consumers’ purchasing intention” study and have fully understood the research content, methods, and personal rights. Procedure for obtaining consent: First, we provide a detailed description of the questionnaire content in the questionnaire instructions and explain that participation in the questionnaire is based on the principle of voluntariness. And set up options to obtain consent from participants. Secondly, we explained that respondents can exit the questionnaire at any time during the questionnaire-filling process. Third, the research team is committed to maintaining data anonymity and privacy. Consent data: The questionnaire was distributed from April 1, 2025 to April 30, 2025.
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Shen, X., Yu, J., Huang, M. et al. Gender role reversal in live commerce: how male anchors’ feminine and masculine traits influence female purchase intention. Humanit Soc Sci Commun (2026). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-026-07109-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-026-07109-y
