Project – Perceived Influencer Authenticity and Impulse Buying in Social Commerce: The Mediating Role of Parasocial Interaction Among Young Adult Consumers in Abuja.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Topic: Perceived Influencer Authenticity and Impulse Buying in Social Commerce: The Mediating Role of Parasocial Interaction Among Young Adult Consumers in Abuja

1.1 Background to the Study

The growth of digital technology and social media has transformed how consumers discover products, evaluate brands, interact with sellers, and make purchasing decisions. Unlike traditional retail environments, where consumers often rely on physical inspection, sales representatives, and conventional advertising, digital platforms allow product information, personal recommendations, entertainment, and consumer discussions to appear together in one environment. Social commerce refers to the use of social media features and online social interactions to facilitate commercial activities, including product discovery, recommendations, purchasing, and post-purchase engagement. These developments have made consumer behaviour increasingly connected to online relationships, user-generated content, and the perceived credibility of information shared by other users. Hajli (2015) explains that social commerce constructs, including social support and relationships formed through online interactions, can influence consumers’ intentions to purchase. Similarly, Xiang, Zheng, Lee, and Zhao (2016) demonstrate that social-relevant features and parasocial interaction can influence consumers’ impulse-buying tendencies in social commerce environments.

Social media influencers have become important participants in this digital commercial environment because they create content, demonstrate products, share personal experiences, and recommend brands to their followers. Their influence may arise from perceived expertise, attractiveness, similarity to followers, trustworthiness, and the sense that they understand the needs and interests of their audiences. Influencers can also make commercial messages appear more personal than conventional advertisements by presenting products through everyday activities, lifestyle narratives, reviews, tutorials, and interactive sessions. Nevertheless, the persuasive effectiveness of an influencer depends partly on whether followers believe the person is genuine and credible. Lou and Yuan (2019) found that the informative value and credibility of influencer-generated content were associated with followers’ trust in branded posts and purchase intentions. Likewise, De Veirman, Cauberghe, and Hudders (2017) examined how the number of followers and product divergence influence perceptions of social media influencers and brand attitudes, demonstrating that influencer characteristics can shape consumer responses to marketing messages.

Perceived influencer authenticity refers to the extent to which consumers regard an influencer as genuine, sincere, consistent, transparent, and credible in presenting personal experiences and commercial recommendations. Authenticity may be reflected in an influencer’s willingness to express personal opinions, disclose commercial relationships, provide realistic product evaluations, and maintain consistency between their public image and communicated values. Consumers may perceive an influencer as authentic when product endorsements appear to reflect genuine experience rather than purely financial motivation. However, authenticity is subjective: two consumers may interpret the same sponsored post differently depending on their prior experiences, expectations, and familiarity with the influencer. Audrezet, de Kerviler, and Moulard (2020) explain that influencers face tensions between commercial sponsorship and the maintenance of an authentic personal identity, particularly when monetisation threatens followers’ perceptions of sincerity. Agnihotri, Chaturvedi, Kulshreshtha, and Tripathi (2023) further found that authenticity-related attributes of social media influencers were associated with followers’ buying behaviour and that parasocial interaction mediated several relationships between authenticity attributes and consumer responses.

Impulse buying is a purchasing behaviour characterised by a sudden, relatively spontaneous urge to acquire a product, often accompanied by limited prior planning and reduced deliberation. Although not every unplanned purchase is necessarily impulsive, impulse buying generally involves an immediate desire to purchase that emerges in response to a stimulus, emotion, product presentation, or shopping situation. In social commerce, such stimuli may include attractive product demonstrations, influencer recommendations, limited-time promotions, appealing visual content, social approval, and the perceived urgency of a purchase opportunity. Consumers may encounter a product while browsing for entertainment or social interaction rather than actively seeking to buy it, yet proceed to purchase because the content generates excitement or a strong desire for immediate ownership. Rook (1987) conceptualised impulse buying as an experience involving a sudden urge to buy, while Beatty and Ferrell (1998) developed a model explaining how shopping enjoyment, time and money availability, and other situational factors contribute to impulse-buying behaviour. Xiang et al. (2016) specifically found that parasocial interaction and related social-commerce features can contribute to consumers’ impulse-buying tendencies.

The relationship between influencer authenticity and impulse buying may partly depend on parasocial interaction. Parasocial interaction refers to the perceived interpersonal connection that audiences experience with media personalities, even though the relationship may not involve mutual personal familiarity in the same way as a face-to-face friendship. On social media, repeated exposure to an influencer’s videos, personal stories, live streams, comments, and responses can create a sense of closeness, familiarity, and emotional connection. Followers may begin to feel that they understand the influencer’s personality, lifestyle, preferences, and values. When an influencer is perceived as authentic, followers may be more inclined to trust the person’s recommendations and experience a stronger sense of personal connection, potentially increasing their responsiveness to product endorsements. Horton and Wohl (1956) introduced the foundational concept of parasocial interaction in their analysis of audience relationships with media personalities. More recent research by Agnihotri et al. (2023) found that parasocial interaction helped explain the relationship between selected authenticity attributes and followers’ buying behaviour, providing a basis for examining this mechanism in social commerce.

The mediating role of parasocial interaction is particularly important because perceived authenticity may not influence impulse buying only through a direct persuasive effect. Instead, authenticity may help establish a perceived relationship that makes an influencer’s recommendations feel personally meaningful and emotionally compelling. For example, a follower who regards an influencer as honest and relatable may feel more connected to that influencer and become more receptive to a product recommendation, including when the purchase was not planned. Xiang et al. (2016) demonstrated the importance of parasocial interaction in explaining impulse-buying tendencies on social commerce platforms, while Sokolova and Kefi (2020) found that influencer credibility and parasocial interaction were positively related to purchase intentions among followers of beauty and fashion bloggers. Liu and Zheng (2024) also reported that influencer-content authenticity and other message characteristics were associated with parasocial relationships and brand credibility. Although purchase intention and impulse buying are different outcomes, these findings support investigating whether parasocial interaction explains part of the relationship between perceived influencer authenticity and actual self-reported impulse-buying tendencies.

Abuja provides a relevant setting for this investigation because young adults in the Federal Capital Territory participate in social media environments where entertainment, lifestyle content, brand promotion, and online shopping opportunities can intersect. Young adult consumers may encounter influencer endorsements across platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and other social networks, where product demonstrations and recommendations can encourage immediate purchasing decisions. Their responses may depend on how authentic they perceive the influencer to be, how strongly they feel connected to that influencer, and whether the promotional content triggers an unplanned desire to purchase. Croes and Bartels (2021), in their study of young adults aged 16–25, found that motivations for following social influencers and social identification were relevant to understanding online engagement and buying behaviour. In addition, Xiang et al. (2016) established a connection between parasocial interaction and impulse buying in social commerce. Against this background, the present study examines perceived influencer authenticity and impulse buying among young adult consumers in Abuja, with particular attention to whether parasocial interaction mediates the relationship between these variables.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

The increasing use of social media influencers in digital marketing has created new opportunities for brands to reach consumers through personal recommendations, product demonstrations, lifestyle content, and online interactions. However, the effectiveness of influencer marketing depends partly on whether consumers perceive influencers as authentic and trustworthy. When followers suspect that product endorsements are motivated primarily by financial incentives, they may question the sincerity of the recommendations and become less responsive to promotional messages. Conversely, influencers perceived as genuine, transparent, and consistent may be more persuasive because their recommendations appear credible and personally meaningful. Audrezet et al. (2020) explain the tensions influencers face when balancing commercial sponsorship with authenticity, while Lou and Yuan (2019) show that the credibility and informative value of influencer-generated content can influence trust in branded posts and purchase intentions. The problem is that the extent to which perceived influencer authenticity translates into impulse buying among young adult consumers in Abuja requires further empirical investigation.

A second problem concerns the spontaneous nature of impulse buying in social commerce. Young adult consumers may encounter influencer recommendations while browsing social media for entertainment, information, or social interaction rather than actively searching for a particular product. Attractive product displays, persuasive reviews, promotional offers, and emotionally engaging content may stimulate an immediate desire to purchase, potentially reducing the time devoted to evaluating the necessity, affordability, and suitability of the product. Although impulse buying can benefit sellers through increased sales, repeated unplanned purchases may also create difficulties for consumers who do not adequately consider their budgets or purchasing priorities. Rook (1987) explains that impulse buying involves a sudden and compelling urge to buy, while Xiang et al. (2016) demonstrate that social-commerce features and parasocial interaction can contribute to impulse-buying tendencies. Nevertheless, it remains necessary to understand how perceptions of influencer authenticity contribute to this behaviour among young adult consumers in Abuja.

A third problem is that the relationship between perceived influencer authenticity and impulse buying may be influenced by the psychological connection consumers develop with influencers. An influencer may be regarded as honest and credible, but this perception may not automatically result in an immediate purchase. The effect may become stronger when followers experience a sense of familiarity, emotional closeness, and perceived personal connection with the influencer. Parasocial interaction could therefore provide a mechanism through which authenticity-related perceptions influence impulse-buying tendencies. Horton and Wohl (1956) established the foundational concept of parasocial interaction, while Agnihotri et al. (2023) found that parasocial interaction mediated relationships between several influencer-authenticity attributes and followers’ buying behaviour. However, evidence concerning general buying behaviour or purchase intentions does not automatically establish the same mediating effect for impulse buying among young adult consumers in Abuja. This creates the need to investigate the specific role of parasocial interaction in the proposed relationship.

The fourth problem is the need for context-specific evidence on the combined relationship among perceived influencer authenticity, parasocial interaction, and impulse buying in social commerce. Findings from studies conducted in other countries, among different age groups, or within particular product categories may not fully explain the experiences of young adult consumers in Abuja. Differences in consumer preferences, social-media usage, financial circumstances, influencer-following habits, and perceptions of sponsored content may influence how authenticity and perceived closeness affect purchasing behaviour. Although Xiang et al. (2016) examined parasocial interaction in social-commerce impulse buying and Agnihotri et al. (2023) investigated the mediating role of parasocial interaction in influencer authenticity and buying behaviour, the specific mediation pathway proposed in this study requires testing within the selected population. Accordingly, this study seeks to determine whether perceived influencer authenticity is associated with impulse buying among young adult consumers in Abuja and whether parasocial interaction significantly mediates that relationship.

1.3 Aim and Objectives of the Study

The main aim of this study is to examine the relationship between perceived influencer authenticity and impulse buying in social commerce, with particular attention to the mediating role of parasocial interaction among young adult consumers in Abuja.

The specific objectives are to:

1. Examine the extent to which young adult consumers in Abuja perceive social media influencers as authentic, sincere, transparent, and credible.

2. Assess the relationship between perceived influencer authenticity and impulse-buying behaviour among young adult consumers in Abuja.

3. Examine the relationship between perceived influencer authenticity and parasocial interaction among young adult consumers in Abuja.

4. Determine whether parasocial interaction mediates the relationship between perceived influencer authenticity and impulse buying among young adult consumers in Abuja.

1.4 Research Questions

The study will be guided by the following research questions:

1. To what extent do young adult consumers in Abuja perceive social media influencers as authentic, sincere, transparent, and credible?

2. What relationship exists between perceived influencer authenticity and impulse-buying behaviour among young adult consumers in Abuja?

3. What relationship exists between perceived influencer authenticity and parasocial interaction among young adult consumers in Abuja?

4. Does parasocial interaction mediate the relationship between perceived influencer authenticity and impulse buying among young adult consumers in Abuja?

1.5 Research Hypothesis

The following null hypothesis will be tested at the 0.05 level of significance:

H₀: Parasocial interaction does not significantly mediate the relationship between perceived influencer authenticity and impulse buying among young adult consumers in Abuja.

1.6 Significance of the Study

This study is significant because it examines how consumers’ perceptions of influencer authenticity and their perceived relationships with influencers may be associated with spontaneous purchasing behaviour. Its findings may be useful to the following groups.

Young adult consumers: The study may help young adults understand how influencer content, perceived authenticity, and feelings of closeness to online personalities can shape their purchasing decisions. Greater awareness of these influences may encourage consumers to distinguish between genuine product information and persuasive commercial content and to make more deliberate purchasing choices.

Social media influencers: The findings may help influencers understand the importance of sincerity, transparency, consistency, and responsible product endorsement. The study may also provide insights into how perceived authenticity relates to followers’ emotional connections and purchasing responses.

Businesses and marketers: Businesses using influencer marketing may benefit from evidence about the relationship between authenticity, parasocial interaction, and impulse buying. The findings could inform influencer selection, campaign design, product communication, and strategies for building longer-term consumer relationships rather than relying exclusively on immediate sales.

Advertising agencies and marketing consultants: Agencies may use the findings to evaluate the potential effectiveness of influencer partnerships and develop campaigns that balance persuasive communication with transparent and credible endorsements.

Consumer-protection organisations and policymakers: The study may contribute to discussions on responsible digital advertising, the transparency of sponsored content, and consumer awareness of persuasive techniques in social commerce. Its findings may help identify areas where guidance on influencer disclosures and responsible marketing could be strengthened.

Researchers and students: The study may contribute to academic literature on influencer authenticity, parasocial interaction, and impulse buying. It may also provide a foundation for further research involving different locations, age groups, social media platforms, and product categories.

1.7 Scope of the Study

The study focuses on perceived influencer authenticity and impulse buying in social commerce, examining parasocial interaction as a mediating variable among young adult consumers in Abuja.

Content scope: The study covers perceived influencer authenticity, including sincerity, transparency, consistency, and credibility; impulse buying, including spontaneous and unplanned purchasing tendencies; and parasocial interaction, including perceived closeness and familiarity with influencers.

Geographical scope: The study will be conducted in Abuja, within the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria. The specific districts or communities included should be identified in Chapter Three according to the sampling framework.

Population scope: The target population comprises young adult consumers in Abuja who use social media and have encountered or followed influencers who promote products or services. The researcher should specify an operational age range and eligibility criteria in the methodology.

Conceptual scope: Perceived influencer authenticity is the independent variable, impulse buying is the dependent variable, and parasocial interaction is the proposed mediating variable. The study will examine the relationships among these constructs without assuming in advance that the mediation effect is statistically significant.

Platform scope: The study may cover relevant social media platforms used by the respondents, such as Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and other platforms on which influencer-led product promotion occurs. The final selection should reflect the platforms represented in the study sample.

1.8 Limitations of the Study

One potential limitation is self-reporting bias. Respondents may not accurately report their impulse-buying behaviour or may understate purchases they consider unnecessary. The researcher should use clear, neutral questionnaire items and assure respondents that their answers will remain confidential.

A second limitation is difficulty measuring authenticity objectively. Authenticity is a subjective perception, and consumers may interpret the same influencer differently. The study should therefore measure perceived authenticity from the respondents’ perspectives rather than treat it as an objectively established characteristic of the influencer.

A third limitation is differences in platform use and influencer familiarity. Respondents may follow different influencers, use different platforms, or have varying levels of familiarity with sponsored content. The researcher should capture relevant usage patterns and account for them when interpreting the findings.

A fourth limitation is the cross-sectional nature of the research, if data are collected at one point in time. Such a design can identify statistical associations and estimate mediation patterns, but it cannot by itself establish definitive causal relationships. The findings should therefore be interpreted in terms of the relationships supported by the data.

Finally, geographical and sampling limitations may restrict generalisation beyond the respondents included in the study. Results from selected young adult consumers in Abuja may not represent all young adults in Nigeria. The researcher should clearly document the sampling method, sample characteristics, and geographical coverage.

1.9 Operational Definition of Terms

Perceived Influencer Authenticity: The extent to which consumers regard a social media influencer as genuine, sincere, transparent, consistent, and credible in personal communication and product endorsements.

Impulse Buying: A spontaneous and relatively unplanned purchasing behaviour characterised by a sudden urge to acquire a product, often with limited prior deliberation.

Social Commerce: Commercial activities facilitated by social media platforms and online social interactions, including product discovery, recommendations, consumer engagement, and purchasing.

Parasocial Interaction: The perceived sense of personal connection, familiarity, or closeness that a consumer experiences with a media personality or social media influencer, despite the relationship not necessarily involving mutual personal acquaintance.

Young Adult Consumers: Individuals within the age range defined by the researcher who participate in consumer activities and use social media. For this study, the precise age limits should be stated in the methodology.

Social Media Influencer: An individual who develops an audience through online content and can influence followers’ opinions, perceptions, or purchasing decisions.

Influencer Endorsement: A promotional communication in which an influencer presents, recommends, reviews, or advertises a product or service to their audience.

Perceived Credibility: The extent to which consumers believe an influencer is trustworthy, knowledgeable, and reliable as a source of product information.

Mediating Variable: A variable that helps explain the process through which an independent variable is related to a dependent variable. In this study, parasocial interaction is examined as the potential mechanism linking perceived influencer authenticity to impulse buying.

Sponsored Content: Content created or published in exchange for payment, gifts, commissions, or another form of commercial benefit from a brand or business.

1.10 Organisation of the Study

The study is organised into five chapters.

Chapter One presents the general introduction, including the background to the study, statement of the problem, aim and objectives, research questions, research hypothesis, significance, scope, limitations, and operational definitions.

Chapter Two reviews relevant literature on perceived influencer authenticity, social commerce, impulse buying, and parasocial interaction. It also examines the theoretical framework, reviews relevant empirical studies, and identifies the research gap.

Chapter Three presents the research methodology, including the research design, population, sample size, sampling techniques, research instrument, validity and reliability procedures, data-collection methods, and techniques for analysing the data and testing the mediation hypothesis.

Chapter Four presents and analyses the data collected from respondents. It answers the research questions, tests the hypothesis, and discusses the findings in relation to the study objectives and existing literature.

Chapter Five presents the summary of findings, conclusion, recommendations, limitations of the research, and suggestions for further studies.

Project – Perceived Influencer Authenticity and Impulse Buying in Social Commerce: The Mediating Role of Parasocial Interaction Among Young Adult Consumers in Abuja.