How impulsivity affects consumer decision-making in e-commerce

This research investigates whether a person’s mood can influence impulsivity in online shopping decisions, and how involvement can regulate it. We adopt a process view of impulsivity, and recorded the detailed information search patterns of consumers using an eye-tracker methodology. The results show that incidental moods tend to increase process impulsivity, and this effect may not be restrained by involvement. We also demonstrate that the decision-making process can be separated into two stages – orientation and evaluation. We further find that differences in impulsivity are most evident in the evaluation stage. These results suggest the importance of mood-elicited impulsivity of purchases in e-commerce.

► We have addressed the reviewers’ comments and improved the manuscript. Changed texts are marked in red. ► Detailed responses to reviewers are provided. ► A professional proofreader has edited the manuscript. ► Supplement is provided for detailed information.