An Empirical Study On Psychological, Social, And Technological Determinants Of Impulsive Buying In Digital Market Places

Abstract

This paper investigates psychological, social, and technological determinants of impulsive buying in digital marketplaces. Drawing on consumer behavior and technology adoption theories, the study uses survey data from 420 active online shoppers to examine how hedonic motivation, self-control, peer influence, social media exposure, perceived ease of use, and website design aesthetics predict impulsive purchase tendency and actual impulsive purchase behavior. Results from exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, multiple regression, and mediation analysis indicate that hedonic motivation, social media exposure, and website aesthetics positively predict impulsive buying, while self-control is a negative predictor. Perceived ease of use has an indirect effect through hedonic motivation. Peer influence moderates the effect of social media exposure on impulsive purchases. Findings advance understanding of impulse buying in digital contexts and offer implications for marketers and platform designers seeking to balance sales and ethical practices.