EKOMBIS REVIEW: Jurnal Ilmiah Ekonomi dan Bisnis
Vol 14 No 3 (2026): Juli

Pleasure-Seeking Or Fear-Driven? A Conceptual Examination Of Hedonic Motivation And FOMO As Catalysts Of Impulsive Buying In E-Commerce

Auliya Allendifa (Universitas Sumatera Utara)
Muhammad Dharma Tuah Putra Nasution (Universitas Sumatera Utara)
Fadli Fadli (Universitas Sumatera Utara)



Article Info

Publish Date
10 Jul 2026

Abstract

Although impulsive buying in e-commerce has received considerable scholarly attention, the psychological mechanisms through which digitally engineered platform environments systematically erode consumer self-regulation remain undertheorized. This paper advances the Affective Urgency Model, a conceptual framework grounded in the Stimulus-Organism-Response paradigm, dual-process theory, prospect theory, approach-avoidance motivation theory, and self-determination theory. Through a critical narrative synthesis of Scopus and Web of Science literature, three theoretical contributions are made. First, hedonic motivation is reframed as an affective override mechanism that activates System 1 processing and suppresses deliberative evaluation, rendering consumers structurally vulnerable to spontaneous purchases. Second, commercially induced FOMO is reconceptualized as a threat response driven by loss aversion, wherein platform-deployed scarcity stimuli frame purchase inaction as loss and compress the decision window. Third, the construct of affective urgency is introduced to capture the compounded state arising from the co-activation of approach motivation and avoidance motivation, amplifying impulsive buying beyond the additive effects of either variable independently. The framework also incorporates the post-purchase paradox, wherein affective urgency-driven purchases produce cognitive dissonance, regret, and financial well-being deterioration despite their immediate hedonic appeal. Three formal propositions and a research agenda for empirical validation are advanced.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

ER

Publisher

Subject

Decision Sciences, Operations Research & Management Economics, Econometrics & Finance Energy Other

Description

Ekombis Review: Jurnal Ilmiah Ekonomi dan Bisnis is a peer-reviewed journal. Ekombis invites academics and researchers who do original research in the fields of economics, management, and ...