The influence of epidemic risk perception on impulse buying behavior and its internal mechanism

This study investigates the impact of risk perception on impulse buying behavior during the epidemic, the mediating role of anxiety, and the moderating role of source credibility in order to reveal the internal mechanism under the relationship between risk perception and impulse buying behavior. Experiment 1 explored the cross-sectional relationship between risk perception and impulse buying behavior during the epidemic, as well as anxiety and sensation seeking. The results found that anxiety played a mediation role between risk perception and impulse buying behavior, and sensation seeking played a moderating role. Through manipulating the degree of risk perception and source credibility, Experiment 2 examined how risk perception and anxiety influence buying behavior, as well as the role of source credibility in this relationship. The results demonstrated that the main effect of impulse buying was substantial, and the interaction effect of risk perception and source credibility was significant. It further revealed that anxiety partially mediated the relationship between risk perception and impulse buying behavior. Overall, our study found that risk perception of the epidemic predicted impulse buying behavior. Anxiety mediates the effect of risk perception on impulse buying behavior. Sensation seeking and source credibility play a moderating role in the effect of risk perception on impulse buying behavior.