Vol. 10 No. 4 (2025): Turkish Journal of Marketing
Articles

The mediating role of the need for uniqueness in the effect of fear of missing out (FOMO) on impulsive purchasing

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  • Ahmet Duman,
  • Özlem Akbulut Dursun
Ahmet Duman
Master Student, Sivas Cumhuriyet University, Sivas, Türkiye
Özlem Akbulut Dursun
Assist. Prof. Dr., Sivas Cumhuriyet University, Sivas, Türkiye

Published 06/03/2026

Keywords

  • FOMO, Need for Uniqueness, Impulsive Buying, Consumer Behaviour

Copyright (c) 2026 Ahmet Duman- Özlem Akbulut Dursun

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

The mediating role of the need for uniqueness in the effect of fear of missing out (FOMO) on impulsive purchasing. (2026). Turkish Journal of Marketing, 10(4), 170-190. https://doi.org/10.30685/tujom.v10i4.230

Abstract

The primary objective of this study is to examine the relationships among FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), the need for uniqueness, and impulsive purchasing behaviour, and to identify the effects of these variables on consumer behaviour. The study specifically addresses how FOMO influences impulsive purchasing behaviour and how the need for uniqueness may mediate this relationship. The study population consists of 476 participants aged 18 or older residing in Sivas Province, who were recruited through convenience sampling. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS 26.0 and AMOS 24.0. The findings indicate that consumers' decision-making processes are shaped not only by rational factors but also strongly by emotional and social factors. Analyses have shown that FOMO significantly increases consumers' tendency toward impulsive purchasing, leading them to make quick, unplanned purchases to avoid missing out. Additionally, it has been found that the need for uniqueness partially mediates the relationship between FOMO and impulsive purchasing. The research findings reveal that FOMO and the need for uniqueness together trigger consumers' unplanned, impulsive purchasing behaviour; in this regard, the study makes a theoretical contribution by presenting a comprehensive model of the relationships among these variables in the marketing literature.

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