Processes underlying social comparison with influencers and subsequent impulsive buying: The roles of social anxiety and social media addiction

ABSTRACT

Drawing on social comparison theory, this study investigates the associations between social comparison to influencers on social media and impulsive purchase behavior, through the mediating effect of anxiety and social media addiction. Data from 296 U.S. consumers were collected through an online survey. The findings show that negative social comparison to the image presented by influencers is positively associated with consumers’ impulse buying. Furthermore, anxiety and social media addiction mediated the impact of social comparison on purchase intention. Theoretical and practical contributions are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Social media
• social comparison
• influencer marketing
• impulse buy
• consumer well-being

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Juan Mundel

Juan Mundel is an associate professor of strategic communication and director of global initiatives at the Cronkite School. His research focuses on the consequences of media exposure, consumer well-being and minority audiences.

Anan Wan

Anan Wan is an assistant professor at the the A.Q. Miller School of Media and Mass Communication. Wan’s academic research examines how advertising and new media technologies intersect.

Jing Yang

Jing Yang is an assistant professor of digital advertising at Loyola University Chicago. She teaches and develops graduate and undergraduate coursers with a focus on digital advertising (e.g., social media advertising, mobile advertising, search and display advertising, and AI in advertising).