The Psychological Drivers of Impulsive Buying: Exploring the Roles of Perceived Stress and Social Media Addiction among Adults

Abstract

Impulsive buying behavior has become a significant area of study due to its potential to influence consumer decision-making, particularly in the context of increasing stress and social media addiction. Perceived stress refers to the psychological experience of stress, while social media addiction involves excessive use of social media platforms, both of which can serve as drivers of impulsive purchasing behaviors. The current study aimed to explore the relationship between perceived stress, social media addiction, and impulsive buying tendencies among adults aged 18- 40 years. The study used three standardized scales for measuring social media addiction, perceived stress, and impulsive buying tendencies among adults. A total of 123 participants (33 males and 90 females) were surveyed using a mixture of snowball and convenience sampling methods. The results of the study revealed a significant positive correlation between social media addiction and impulsive buying tendencies. While perceived stress did not directly predict impulsive buying, its significant correlation with social media addiction suggests an indirect relationship. These findings indicate that social media addiction plays a more influential role in driving impulsive buying behavior than perceived stress. Understanding these dynamics can help marketers tailor strategies to address impulsive buying, particularly through social media platforms. Additionally, the study highlights the need for interventions aimed at reducing social media addiction, as well as promoting better stress management practices to reduce impulsive purchasing behaviors in consumers.