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This study aims to reveal how mobile app stickiness is formed and how the stickiness formation process differs for apps of different social levels.

This study proposed and validated a stickiness formation model following the cognitive–affective–conative framework. Data were collected from surveys of 1,240 mobile app users and analyzed using structural equation modeling. Multigroup analysis was applied to contrast the stickiness formation process among apps of different social levels.

This study revealed a causal link between cognitive, affective and conative factors. It found partial mediation effects of trust in the association between perceptions and satisfaction, and the full mediation role of satisfaction and personal investment (PI) in the effects of subjective norm (SN) on stickiness. The multigroup analysis results suggested that social media affordances benefit stickiness through increased PI and strengthened effects of SN on PI. However, it damages stickiness through increased perceived privacy risk (PPR), decreased trust and strengthened effects of PPR on trust.

This study contributes to both stickiness scholars and practitioners, as it builds a model to understand the stickiness formation process and reveals the effects of the “go social” strategy. The novelty of this study is that it examined social influences, considered privacy issues and revealed two mediation mechanisms. The findings can guide the improvement of mobile app stickiness and the application of the “go social” strategy.