Influence of internal psychological factors on flow experience and purchase intention on fashion Instagram

Abstract

Recent studies indicate that Instagram fashion influencers shape follower engagement, promote sales, and build trust through product endorsements. However, prior research has primarily emphasized content features and purchase intention, with limited attention to the internal psychological mechanisms that mediate lifestyle and flow experience, particularly the role of influencer evaluation. This study examined South Korean women’s receptivity to fashion advertising by analyzing how lifestyle, influencer evaluation, and flow experience shape purchase intention, with self-presentation and the influencer’s attitude toward life serving as moderating factors. An online survey of 780 South Korean women aged 20–59 years was conducted, and the data were analyzed for reliability, validity, structural equation modeling, parameter estimation, and moderated mediation effects. The results show that lifestyle types differ in their valuation of expertise, honesty, and flow. Display-oriented lifestyles directly enhance flow experience, whereas perceived expertise and honesty mediate the relationship between lifestyle and flow. A high level of actual self-presentation promotes a preference for honesty and strengthens the association between flow experience and purchase intention, while a low level of ideal self-presentation emphasizes expertise and honesty. This study advances understanding of women’s fashion consumption psychology, offers a framework for personalized marketing strategies, and highlights the role of flow experience in shaping consumption behavior within social networking services.