A Behavioural Perspective on Online Impulse Purchasing: The Influence of Social Factors, Arousal and Habit

Abstract

The rapid growth of digital commerce has intensified the prevalence of online impulse purchasing, driven by socially embedded platforms that integrate interaction, emotional stimulation, and seamless transactions. Despite extensive research on impulse buying, limited studies integrate social, affective, and automatic mechanisms within a unified framework. Drawing on the Stimulus– Organism–Response (S-O-R) theory and Dual-Process Theory, this study examines how social
influence, emotional arousal, and habit shape online impulse purchasing behaviour. Social influence is conceptualized as an external stimulus embedded in digital environments, arousal as
the organismic mechanism translating stimuli into behavioural tendencies, and habit as an automatic processing pathway that reinforces impulsive responses. Using a quantitative research
design, data are collected from online consumers to test the proposed relationships through structural modelling analysis. By integrating social, emotional, and habitual perspectives, this
study advances theoretical understanding of impulse purchasing in digital commerce and provides insights for developing responsible and effective online marketing strategies.