How TikTok Influences Purchase Intention: The Role of Purchase Condition, Perceived Personalization and Emotional Engagement

Abstract

TikTok has become a relevant platform for product discovery, where short videos present users with highly personalized and emotionally appealing content. The present study explores how purchase condition (planned vs. impulsive) affects purchase intention in this context and investigates the roles of perceived personalization (as a mediator) and emotional involvement (as a moderator) in this relationship. A between-subjects experimental design was conducted with 226 participants, who were randomly assigned to planned or impulsive purchase scenarios. The results indicate that purchase condition significantly influences purchase intention, with greater overall intention present in impulsive contexts. Perceived personalization also partially mediates this impact, supporting the importance of content perceived as personalized to the user. Although emotional engagement did not moderate the direct connection between purchase condition and purchase intention, it did influence how perceived personalization was seen, particularly in impulsive conditions. These results contribute to a better understanding of consumer decision-making on social media platforms, like TikTok, where perceptual and affective processes play a central role in shaping consumer behavior.