Dark side of metaverse! Role of loneliness on depression using deindividuation theory and psychodynamic theory Nitin Soni, Priyanka Sahoo, Sushant Kumar, Muhammad Zafar Yaqub, Abhishek Bhushan Singhal Information Technology and People, 2026 PurposeThe metaverse presents an emerging domain that offers many opportunities to various stakeholders. Despite the advantages, the metaverse has been witnessing increasing cases of violence and abuse. This study aims to empirically examine the dark side of the metaverse and its consequences on users.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses the theoretical premise of deindividuation theory and psychodynamic theory to conceptualize a research model. A structured survey-based questionnaire is employed for data collection from 327 metaverse gaming users from US. Structured equation modeling was used for data analysis.FindingsThe study reveals that the loneliness of users is positively associated with dissociative anonymity and invisibility in the metaverse, which leads to deindividuation. Further, findings suggest that deindividuation fosters deviant behaviour in metaverse. Furthermore, deindividuation and deviant behaviour predict depression among users. The study also established the moderating effects of immersive experience.Originality/valueRarely studies have attempted to comprehend the dark side of the metaverse. The study is one of the first to empirically show that metaverse engagement might aggravate the well-being of lonely individuals. Findings also offer implications for metaverse game designers and public policymakers.
Rethinking crisis communication beyond control: a topic modelling analysis Joel Joy Polimetla, Nitin Soni Corporate Communications, 2026 Purpose This study examines crisis communication research in European contexts, where crises such as pandemics, political disruptions and wars have transformed the communicative landscape. It aims to identify dominant themes, methodological trends and conceptual intersections shaping the evolution of European crisis communication research. Design/methodology/approach Using a systematic review of 377 peer-reviewed journal articles from Scopus, this study applies Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modelling to abstracts and author keywords. The analysis integrates computational results with interpretative synthesis to develop a conceptual framework that illustrates how the political, organizational and digital dimensions interact in European crisis communication research. Findings Twelve coherent topics were identified and grouped into five overarching clusters: Political and Public Discourse, Media and Platform Ecology, Health Risk Campaign Practice, Organizational and Strategic Communication, and Meta-Research and Contextual Studies. The interpretative framework demonstrates that European crisis communication operates as a multivocal, adaptive system shaped by contextual antecedents, strategic processes, mediating mechanisms and cultural moderators. The findings highlight Europe’s distinct emphasis on dialogue, participation and institutional trust, extending beyond managerial and message-control paradigms. Originality/value This study offers the first data-driven synthesis of European crisis communication research, bridging computational analysis and theoretical integration. It contributes a holistic interpretative framework that redefines crisis communication as a complex, participatory and context-dependent system. Specifically, the study reveals that while European research emphasizes multivocality, it often treats internal organizational communication as peripheral to external strategy, a gap that must be addressed to fully understand crisis resilience.
Emojis and consumer-based brand equity: Mediation role of engagement Debajani Sahoo, Nitin Soni, Abhishek Mishra Journal of Open Innovation Technology Market and Complexity, 2025 ABSTRACT Non-verbal communication tools, such as emojis, are an important means of persuasion for food delivery applications (FDAs). Using social exchange theory, the current research, conducted in India given its fast-growing FDA category, examines the impact of emojis on the different components of consumer engagement (CE) and consumer-based brand equity (CBBE). Results from two studies, with a combined sample size of 557 people who are heavy users of FDAs and are in the age group 25-44 years, indicate a positive influence of emojis on dimensions of CE and CBBE. The results indicate that affective and activation engagements, as components of CE, mediate the influence of emojis on value and brand equities, components of CBBE. However, this mediation link is insignificant for cognitive engagement. The study contributes to the interplay of affect and cognition in the context of FDA messages containing emojis and their role in shaping CBBE.
What drives new luxury consumption? Application of schema congruity theory and heuristic systematic framework Nitin Soni, Sushant Kumar Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 2024 PurposeLuxury consumption has evolved, and two important reasons behind the change include globalization and the COVID-19 crisis. These factors have led to the rise of new luxury consumption, which is different from traditional luxury consumption. This study examines how consumers’ identities shape their intentions to consume traditional luxury and new luxury brands.Design/methodology/approachThe theoretical underpinnings of the schema congruity theory and heuristic systematic framework were applied to understand the role of identities in determining consumers’ regulatory focus, price luxuriousness inference and preference for traditional and new luxury brands.FindingsFindings suggest that the global identity of consumers shapes their promotion focus and price luxuriousness inferences. However, their local identities induce a prevention goal. Consumers with such a goal are unlikely to make price luxuriousness inferences. Further, these inferences lead to the choice of traditional luxury over new luxury brands. The results also establish the moderating effects of consumer flexibility.Originality/valueThe extant literature is inconclusive on the role of globalization in luxury consumption and ignores new luxury brands. The current study shows the impact of identities and regulatory focus on traditional and new luxury consumption. The findings also indicate consumers’ regulatory focus and price luxuriousness inference as the reasons behind the influence. The paper also implies that consumers open to renting, sharing or buying second-hand goods will prefer new luxury over traditional luxury brands.
Maximization, internal reference price and consumers' response to promotions Nitin Soni, Jagrook Dawra, Kanupriya Katyal Marketing Intelligence and Planning, 2023 PurposeThis study shows the influence of consumers' goal and strategy of maximization on the process behind their behavioral response to price.Design/methodology/approachData was collected through a 2×2 experimental design involving 314 respondents and analyzed using PLS-SEM.FindingsThe results show that when buyers maximize, their transaction value and acquisition value perceptions predict their behavioral response to deals and discounts. Further, these buyers do not consider sales price information to form their internal reference price. On the other hand, when buyers satisfice, their transaction value perceptions predict the behavioral responses to price deals, and the relationship between transaction value and the behavioral response is not mediated by acquisition value. Further, such buyers consider sales price to form their internal reference price.Originality/valueThe theory of purchase value assumes that consumers seek to maximize their value. Our work relaxes this assumption to show how value maximizers (and satisficers) differ in the process of value formation and their responses to price promotions.
Luxury or Masstige: Role of Global and Local Identities, Luxuriousness Variances, Price Luxuriousness Inferences, and Consumer Flexibility Nitin Soni Journal of International Consumer Marketing, 2023 Masstige or mass prestige luxury brands are considered one of the principal drivers behind increased luxury consumption. Literature has proposed increasing globalization as one of the primary reasons behind the sales of these masstige brands. Given the impact of globalization, this research proposes and examines the impact of consumers’ global and local identities on their propensity to purchase traditional luxury and masstige brands. Results from a survey of 278 Indian respondents show a differential impact of global and local identities of consumers on these preferences. Further, the results show the serial mediation of luxuriousness variances and price luxuriousness inferences behind this impact. The results also indicate that the mediating effect of price luxuriousness inference is moderated by consumer flexibility, where consumer flexibility is a facet of consumer wisdom. The traditional luxury and masstige brand managers can use these results to formulate segmenting, targeting, and positioning strategies for their brands.
Judgments of acquisition value and transaction value: A consumer decision-making styles perspective Nitin Soni, Jagrook Dawra Journal of Indian Business Research, 2020 Purpose An open question of behavioral pricing literature is: What are the factors which influence consumers’ judgments of acquisition value and transaction value? An important framework to explain consumers’ shopping and purchase decisions is their decision-making styles. This paper aims to examine the influence of consumers’ decision-making styles, that is, perfectionistic high-quality conscious, brand conscious-price equals quality, novelty-fashion conscious, recreational-hedonistic, price conscious-value for money, impulsive-careless, habitual-brand loyal and confused by overchoice on their judgments of acquisition value and transaction value. Design/methodology/approach From the literature, a conceptual framework was formulated. Data was collected from a survey of 304 respondents. The measurement model was tested using exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. The structural model was tested using structural equation modeling. Findings The consumers’ judgments of acquisition value and transaction value vary with their decision-making styles. The measurement and structural models exhibited good fit, and 12 of the 16 proposed hypotheses were found to be significant. Research limitations/implications The respondents for this research study were urban and postgraduate students. Practical implications The results of this study can help managers personalize their promotional offers and market offerings targeted at consumers with different decision-making styles. Originality/value Behavioral pricing literature has not convincingly shown that consumers make the judgments of the two values, acquisition value and transaction value, in a purchase scenario. There is limited literature on the impact of decision-making styles on the marketing variables. The results of this study contribute to the literature by showing that consumers make the judgments of these two values, and these judgments vary with their decision-making styles. Also, this is one of only a few studies to examine the two components of the purchase value in an Indian context.
