The Influence of Gamification on Impulsive Buying in Shopee Live: An Analysis Based on Gender and Age Moderation

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the influence of gamification elements within the Shopee Live platform on consumer impulsive buying behavior, with a specific focus on the moderating roles of age and gender. Utilizing the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework, this research evaluates four key gamification elements as stimuli: Interactivity, Time Pressure, Competition, and Rewards. The research methodology employed an experimental design with data collection via structured questionnaires using a 1-5 Likert scale. The respondents included both Generation Z and Millennials to compare responses between digital natives and digital immigrants. The data were analyzed to determine how these stimuli affect the viewers' psychological states including Immersion, Sense of Presence, and Active Intensity ultimately leading to impulsive buying decisions. The findings indicate that Interactivity and Time Pressure are the primary triggers that significantly influence the psychological conditions of viewers. Among these psychological variables, Immersion was found to have the most dominant influence on the tendency toward impulsive buying behavior. While Competition and Rewards elements did not show a significant impact on emotional engagement in this context, moderation analysis revealed a key finding: Time Pressure exerts a much stronger emotional impact on female respondents compared to males. Furthermore, the study identified a convergence in digital behavior, showing no significant difference between Generation Z and Millennials in their response to these interactive features. These findings provide practical implications for e-commerce platforms and sellers (hosts) to prioritize personalized two-way interaction features over standard points or rewards.