The Research Dialogue

Abstract

                 This study investigates the impact of Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) on shopping motivation and impulsive purchasing behaviour among Gen Z customers in digital shopping environments. The study, based on the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework, investigates how external stimuli, such as social media content and scarcity/urgency cues, influence internal psychological states (FOMO and emotional arousal), which in turn drive behavioural reactions, particularly impulse buying. A quantitative study design was used, with a structured questionnaire sent via internet channels to Generation Z, predominantly college students. A sample size of 258 respondents was used, chosen via convenience sampling to assure accessibility and relevance to digitally active people. The research instrument was a self-administered questionnaire with a 5-point Likert scale that assessed characteristics such as FOMO, emotional arousal, shopping drive, and impulsive purchasing behaviour. The reliability analysis revealed good internal consistency, with Cronbach’s alpha values surpassing 0.80 across all constructs. Data was analyzed using SPSS 27, which used techniques such as reliability testing, correlation analysis, and regression analysis to investigate the correlations between variables. The findings show that social media exposure and scarcity cues dramatically enhance FOMO levels, and FOMO acts as a mediator between emotional arousal and purchase incentive. Furthermore, emotional shopping incentives and FOMO were discovered to have a significant favorable impact on impulsive purchasing behaviour, with FOMO appearing as the most influential predictor. The study underlines Gen Z’s vulnerability to digital marketing stimuli, as well as the crucial role of FOMO in moulding contemporary consumer behaviour.

Keywords: FOMO, Impulsive Buying Behaviour, Generation Z

Cite this Article:

Iqbal Ahmad¹ & Dr. Akhilesh Chandra Pandey², “Fear of Missing Out and Its Impact on Shopping Motivation and Impulsive Buying Among Gen Z Consumers” The Research Dialogue, Open Access Peer-reviewed & Refereed Journal, Pp-413–422, Volume-05, Issue-01, April-2026, https://theresearchdialogue.com/