Work

“You Only Buy What You Love”: Understanding Impulse Buying Among College Students Through Values, Emotion, and Digital Immersion

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Impulsive purchasing behavior among university students has gained increased attention in the context of digital consumption settings; however, much of the existing research is product-specific and quantitative, leaving the subjective nuances of this phenomenon underexplored. This study investigates how college students perceive and explain their impulsive purchase behavior across various product categories and platforms, using qualitative data from focus groups (n = 72). By revealing the prevalence of key patterns—interest-aligned, emotional relief, hedonistic lifestyle, social influence, inquisitive reviewer, presentation appeal, and controlled purchase—this research uncovers the underlying identity-affirming practices, internal emotional negotiations, and external sociotechnical cues that shape such behavior. Ultimately, it reframes impulsive buying as a socially embedded, identity-driven act rather than an act of irrationality. These findings advance our understanding of consumer psychology by emphasizing the lived experiences and self-construction processes of young consumers navigating media-saturated, algorithmically curated purchasing environments.

Source: Journal of theoretical and applied electronic commerce research

DOI: 10.3390/jtaer20040271

Author: Yuanbo Qi

Institution: Donghua University

Language: English

Topic: Consumer Retail Behavior Studies

Subfield: Marketing

Field: Business, Management and Accounting

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,207

Funders: Donghua University, Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities