Peer Influence, Impulse Buying, and Consumer Emotional Attachment: The Impact of Social Media Stalking and Psychological Nuances

Abstract

Given the contemporary landscape of social media interactions and their profound influence on consumer behavior, this study is aimed at exploring the intricate connections between subjective norms, social media stalking, peer influence, and their impact on internal cognitive and emotional processes. Specifically, we explore how these factors, including envy, the need to belong, and self-congruence, lead to transformative interactions that manifest as impulse buying, customer satisfaction, and emotional attachment. We utilized an online survey to collect data from 659 participants and subsequently employed SmartPLS to analyze the data collected via structural equation modeling. The findings showed the significant positive impact of subjective norms and social media stalking on peer influence, which enhances the chain relationship from peer influence to envy and then impulse buying. The mediating role of obsessive passion between peer influence and emotional attachment is supported in contrast to self-congruence. Contrary to earlier research findings indicating a direct link between customer satisfaction and emotional attachment in the field of impulse buying, the satisfaction resulting from impulse buying does not influence emotional attachment in this paper. Both theoretical and practical implications were discussed.