Habit: How Does It Develop, and Affect Continued Usage of Chinese Users on Social Networking Websites?

Most IS studies considered post-adoption behavior as a cognitive process but rarely took a habitual perspective. The present study developed a research model to investigate the antecedents and effects of users' habit in the context of social networking websites (SNW). It used a two-stage survey and partial least squares (PLS) analysis to test the model. It found that a user's habit of using an SNW is developed through his prior usage, enjoyment, social interaction ties, and satisfaction, and that his habit consequently affects his online self-presentation desire and actual continued usage of SNW. The model accounts for 46.5% of the variance in SNW habit, and 33.5% of the variance in SNW continuance usage, respectively. This is one of the first studies that integrate the essential construct of habit with traditional cognitive, affective, and intentional factors into an SNW continuance model. The findings not only contribute to the theoretical development of IS continuance, but also provide insights for SNW practitioners to understand users' habit and develop sustainable strategies accordingly.