Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) and Preferential Hunting Behavior on E-Commerce Platforms: A Case Study of Shopee and Lazada
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7250/csimq.2025-43.03Keywords:
Fear of Missing Out (FoMO), Preferential Hunting Behavior, Deal-Seeking Intention, Scarcity Perception, Consumer Sentiment, Social Influence, E-commerce MarketingAbstract
This study investigated the psychological mechanism through which Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) influenced consumers’ preferential hunting behavior on two leading e-commerce platforms in Vietnam: Shopee and Lazada. Drawing on an integrated theoretical framework combining FoMO theory, self-determination theory, scarcity theory, social influence theory, and perceived value theory, the research examined how FoMO affected deal-seeking intentions and behaviors through multiple pathways. A structural equation model was developed and tested using data collected from Vietnamese e-commerce users through an online survey. The analysis revealed that FoMO significantly influenced perceived scarcity, perceived benefits, and consumer sentiment, which subsequently shaped deal-seeking intention and actual preferential hunting behavior. The model demonstrated substantial explanatory power for both deal-seeking intention and preferential hunting behavior. Additionally, social influence and online shopping experience were confirmed as significant moderators, with social influence amplifying FoMO’s effects on perceptions and experience, strengthening the intention-behavior relationship. The findings advanced theoretical understanding of FoMO in commercial contexts and provided actionable insights for designing psychologically attuned promotional strategies in emerging e-commerce markets.
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J. F. Hair, W. C. Black, B. J. Babin, and R. E. Anderson, Multivariate Data Analysis. Cengage Learning, 2019.
L. Li, W. Zhu, L. Chen, and Y. Liu, “Generative AI usage and sustainable supply chain performance: A practice-based view,” Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, vol. 192, article 103761, 2024. Available: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tre.2024.103761
J. Zhang, N. Jiang, J. J. Turner, and S. Pahlevan Sharif, “The impact of scarcity of medical protective products on Chinese consumers’ impulsive purchasing during the COVID-19 epidemic in China,” Sustainability, vol. 13, no. 17, article 9749, 2021. Available: https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179749
A. K. Przybylski, K. Murayama, C. R. DeHaan, and V. Gladwell, “Motivational, emotional, and behavioral correlates of fear of missing out,” Computers in Human Behavior, vol. 29, no. 4, pp. 1841–1848, 2013. Available: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2013.02.014
M. Milyavskaya, M. Saffran, N. Hope, and R. Koestner, “Fear of missing out: prevalence, dynamics, and consequences of experiencing FOMO,” Motivation and Emotion, vol. 42, no. 5, pp. 725–737, 2018. Available: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-018-9683-5
N. D. Phuong, B. T. Khoa, and N. M. Tuan, “Exploring the Impact of Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) on Youth Shopping Intentions in Social Commerce Landscape,” Qubahan Academic Journal, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 598–610, 2025. Available: https://doi.org/10.48161/qaj.v5n1a1403
R. M. Ryan and E. L. Deci, “Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations: Classic definitions and new directions,” Contemporary Educational Psychology, vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 54–67, 2000. Available: https://doi.org/10.1006/ceps.1999.1020
N. B. P. Duy, V. T.-T. Nguyen, and B. T. Khoa, “From flow experience determinants to user behavior: A study on online food ordering platforms via mobile applications,” Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, vol. 11, no. 2, article 100551, 2025. Available: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joitmc.2025.100551
R. B. Cialdini, “The psychology of persuasion,” in Threat and Violence Interventions: The Effective Application of Influence, Academic Press, 1993, pp. 48–51.
A. V. Tran and B. T. Khoa, “Generation Z Customers’ Online Outbound Tourism Booking Intention in Vietnam: Extending the Technology Acceptance Model with Intercultural Competence,” Geojournal of Tourism and Geosites, vol. 60, no. 2spl, pp. 1119–1127, 2025. Available: https://doi.org/10.30892/gtg.602spl09-1485
H. R. Kelman, “Social work and mental retardation: Challenge or failure?” Social Work, pp. 37–42, 1958.
B. T. Khoa, “The Triple Helix of Digital Engagement: Unifying Technology Acceptance, Trust Signaling, and Social Contagion in Generation Z’s Social Commerce Repurchase Decisions,” Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research, vol. 20, no. 2, article 145, 2025. Available: https://doi.org/10.3390/jtaer20020145
V. A. Zeithaml, “Consumer perceptions of price, quality, and value: a means-end model and synthesis of evidence,” Journal of Marketing, vol. 52, no. 3, pp. 2–22, 1988. Available: https://doi.org/10.1177/002224298805200302
A. V. Tran and B. T. Khoa, “Global Research Trends in Circular Economy: A Bibliometric Analysis in E‐Commerce,” Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies, vol. 2025, no. 1, pp. 1–20, 2025. Available: https://doi.org/10.1155/hbe2/8645845
D. Alt, “College students’ academic motivation, media engagement and fear of missing out,” Computers in Human Behavior, vol. 49, pp. 111–119, 2015. Available: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2015.02.057
V. T. T. Uyen, N. M. Ly, N. T. T. Oanh, and B. T. Khoa, “Decoding Fear of Missing Out in Social Commerce: A Novel Integration of TAM and TRA for Online Purchasing Behavior,” Journal of Logistics, Informatics and Service Science, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 50–62, 2025.
D. B. X. Cuong, T. Khanh, B. T. Khoa, and L. D. N. Thanh, “Digital Transformation and Sustainable Tourism: An Integrated Model for Heritage Destination Revisitation in the Service Innovation Era,” Journal of Service, Innovation and Sustainable Development, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 14–28, 2025.
R. M. Ryan and E. L. Deci, “Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being,” American Psychologist, vol. 55, no. 1, pp. 68–78, 2000. Available: https://doi.org/10.1037//0003-066X.55.1.68
F. G. Gilal, J. Zhang, J. Paul, and N. G. Gilal, “The role of self-determination theory in marketing science: An integrative review and agenda for research,” European Management Journal, vol. 37, no. 1, pp. 29–44, 2019. Available: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2018.10.004
I. Ajzen, “The theory of planned behavior,” Organizational Behavior Human Decision Processes, vol. 50, no. 2, pp. 179–211, 1991. Available: https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-T
J. F. Hair, M. Sarstedt, C. M. Ringle, and S. P. Gudergan, Advanced Issues in Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, 2023.
P. M. Podsakoff, S. B. MacKenzie, J.-Y. Lee, and N. P. Podsakoff, “Common method biases in behavioral research: a critical review of the literature and recommended remedies,” Journal of Applied Psychology, vol. 88, no. 5, pp. 879–903, 2003. Available: https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.88.5.879
J. F. Hair, M. Sarstedt, C. M. Ringle, and J. A. Mena, “An assessment of the use of partial least squares structural equation modeling in marketing research,” Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, vol. 40, pp. 414–433, 2012. Available: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-011-0261-6
J. F. Hair, W. C. Black, B. J. Babin, and R. E. Anderson, Multivariate Data Analysis. Cengage Learning, 2019.
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31.07.2025
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Copyright (c) 2025 Nguyen Duy Phuong, Bui Thanh Khoa, Pham Chau Thanh (Author)
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Phuong, N. D., Khoa, B. T., & Thanh, P. C. (2025). Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) and Preferential Hunting Behavior on E-Commerce Platforms: A Case Study of Shopee and Lazada. Complex Systems Informatics and Modeling Quarterly, 43, 34-52. https://doi.org/10.7250/csimq.2025-43.03
