The Sense of Presence and Impulsive Buying in Livestreaming Commerce: The Linking Role of Flow Experience

Abstract

This research uniquely investigates the nuanced mechanism by which two types of presence (social presence and telepresence) influence the urge to buy impulsively. Drawing on the stimulus–organism–response (SOR) framework, this study proposes that social presence and telepresence contribute to a multidimensional flow experience, unpacking it into concentration and perceived control as cognition, and enjoyment as affection, which in turn evoke the urge to buy impulsively. Further, the current research explores the causal relationships among these flow components. Using survey data from 306 Vietnamese viewers of livestreaming commerce and PLS-SEM for hypothesis testing, the findings demonstrate the significant role of social presence and telepresence in generating concentration, perceived control and enjoyment. Moreover, cognitive (i.e., concentration and perceived control) and affective (i.e., enjoyment) aspects of flow are causally related to influencing the urge to buy impulsively. These findings offer novel theoretical insights into the internal dynamics of flow in mediating presence-induced impulsive buying that are valuable for sellers aiming to enhance their livestreaming commerce strategies.