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

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.