THE INFLUENCE OF HEDONIC MOTIVATION, FOMO, MATERIALISM, PRICE DISCOUNTS, AND E-REVIEWS ON IMPULSIVE BUYING IN ONLINE GAMES MODERATED BY AGE

Abstract

This study investigates the determinants of impulsive buying of virtual items in online games among Generation Z in DKI Jakarta by examining the effects of hedonic motivation, Fear of Missing Out (FOMO), materialism, price discount, and e-reviews, as well as the moderating role of age. Grounded in Impulsive Buying Theory and the UTAUT2 framework, this research adopts a quantitative survey design with data collected through an online questionnaire distributed via social media platforms. A total of valid responses were analyzed using Partial Least Squares–Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to assess both the measurement and structural models. The empirical findings reveal that hedonic motivation, FOMO, materialism, price discount, and e-reviews each exert a positive and significant influence on impulsive buying behavior. Furthermore, age significantly moderates the relationship between hedonic motivation and impulsive buying, indicating that younger individuals are more susceptible to affective-driven purchasing impulses. These results underscore the importance of psychological and contextual factors in shaping online consumer behavior and provide meaningful implications for game developers and digital marketers seeking to design effective strategies in the virtual goods marketplace.