AI Chatbot Service Adoption Among C2C Second-Hand Sellers: An Integrated UTAUT-TTAT Framework

Abstract

Against the background of AI penetration in C2C second-hand commerce, AI chatbots have emerged as vital operational tools for individual sellers. Prior technology adoption literature predominantly emphasizes positive acceptance drivers yet overlooks the simultaneous existence of benefit and risk perceptions, and cannot fully explain individual sellers’ paradoxical adoption intentions. This study integrates the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and Technology Threat Avoidance Theory (TTAT) to construct an integrated dual mediation model, adopting perceived effortlessness and perceived risk as parallel mediators. Online questionnaire surveys were distributed to individual sellers operating on Chinese C2C second-hand trading platforms. After screening and data cleaning, a final valid sample of 261 respondents was retained. Partial least-squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed to empirically test the proposed research model. The results demonstrate that personal factors (perceived busyness, desire for control, AI acceptance) and situational factors (product standardization, social influence, platform safeguards) jointly shape individual sellers’ dual perceptions. These antecedents exert differentiated impacts on the two mediating constructs, which subsequently predict individual sellers’ intentions to adopt AI chatbots. This research clarifies the balancing mechanism of positive and negative perceptions in technology decision-making. The framework reconciles conflicting psychological evaluations of intelligent systems, deepens the understanding of paradoxical adoption behaviors, and offers practical implications for optimizing intelligent services within C2C second-hand ecosystems.