The experimental stimuli were twent

The experimental stimuli were twenty-four 8.5 in. by 11 in. colour
printed images of different homepages of a Gifts website. These
24 homepages were designed to vary at 6 levels of Complexity and 4
levels of Order. For the purpose of this study, the 24 homepage
stimuli (1) vary only in terms of levels of webpage Complexity
and Order, (2) have contents and characteristics that evoke neutral
affect in users, and (3) allow participants to engage in either utilitarian
or experiential shopping activities. The first criterion stems
from the need to minimize the difference among different stimuli
irrelevant to the interest of this research and to isolate the effects
of webpage Complexity and Order as influencing variables. The second
criterion is necessary to minimize any preconceived response
bias resulting from the confounding effects of website characteristics
and content on participants’ affective responses, e.g., liking/disliking.
The third criterion is needed for investigating how
participants’ motivational orientations influence the effects of webpage
Complexity and Order on participants’ aesthetic preferences.