Considering the popularity of virtual influencer (VI) marketing while its effectiveness remains fully unexplored, there is a need of academic attention testing consumer responses to VIs in comparison with human influencer marketing. Hence, this study aims to fill this gap by comparing consumers’ perceptions of a human versus virtual influencer’s endorsement. Specifically, based on the construal level theory and psychological reactance, this study investigates how consumers differently evaluate human and virtual influencers’ endorsement motives, which may further influence their attitudes toward a brand, advertising (i.e., endorsement), and an influencer and purchase intentions. Additionally, the moderating role of the number of endorsements (single vs. multiple) and perceived innovativeness are examined.

The design response spectrum presented in the seismic design standard reflects the characteristics of the tectonic environment at a site. However, since the design response spectrum does not represent the ground motion with a specific earthquake magnitude or distance, input ground motions for response history analysis need to be selected reasonably. It is appropriate to use observed ground motions recorded in Korea for the seismic design. However, recently recorded ground motions in the Gyeongju (2016) or Pohang (2017) earthquakes are not compatible with the design response spectrum. Therefore, it is necessary to convert the recorded ground motion in Korea to a model similar to the design response spectrum. In this study, several approaches to adjust the spectral acceleration level at each period range were tested. These are the intrinsic and scattering attenuation considering the earthquake environment, magnitude, distance change by the green function method, and a rupture propagation direction's directivity effect. Using these variables, the amplification ratio for the representative natural period was regressed. Finally, the optimum condition compatible with the design response spectrum was suggested, and the validation was performed by converting the recorded ground motion.

As a method of seismic-design for pile-supported wharves, equivalent static analysis, response spectrum analysis, and time history analysis method are applied. Among them, the response spectrum analysis is widely used to obtain the maximum response of a structure. Because the ground is not modeled in the response spectrum analysis of pile-supported wharves, the amplified input ground acceleration should be calculated by ground classification or seismic response analysis. However, it is difficult to calculate the input ground acceleration through ground classification because the pile-supported wharf is build on inclined ground, the methods to calculate the input ground acceleration proposed in the standards are different. Therefore, in this study, the dynamic centrifuge model tests and the response spectrum analysis were carried out to calculate the appropriate input ground acceleration. The pile moment in response spectrum analysis and the dynamic centrifuge model tests were compared. As a result of comparison, it was shown that the response spectrum analysis results using the amplified acceleration in the ground surface were appropriate.