ABSTRACT The present study investigates why Generation Z struggles to disengage from excessive social media use, positioning Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) as a central psychological mechanism that drives anxiety, perceived social pressure, and maladaptive digital behaviors. Drawing on Behavioral Cognitive Theory (BCT), we conceptualized FoMO as a cognitive emotional trigger that intensifies Gen Z's vigilance toward peers' achievements in career‐oriented digital environments such as LinkedIn and Instagram. Grounded in mixed‐method design, Study 1 applies descriptive phenomenology with nine participants to understand their lived digital experiences, revealing themes of identity threat, exclusion sensitivity, and algorithm‐reinforced comparison cycles, which were further validated using a quantitative survey of 484 responses in Study 2. Results of the study show that FoMO significantly increases perceived social pressure and anxiety, which collectively accelerate compulsive social media use. Furthermore, facilitating conditions moderate these effects by intensifying FoMO's psychological pull. By integrating experiential and quantitative evidence, this research contributes a multi‐layered explanation of FoMO‐driven compulsive behavior and offers insights for platform designers and policymakers seeking to promote healthier digital ecosystems for young users.
ABSTRACT Competition design in gamification platforms is a key factor driving users' sustained engagement. However, how to effectively apply different competition types within carbon inclusion platforms to promote proenvironmental behaviors remains underexplored. This study conducts three experiments to examine the effects of competition types in green gamification on users' willingness to engage in proenvironmental behaviors. Specifically, Study 1 reveals that intergroup competition significantly enhances users' proenvironmental behavioral intentions compared to interindividual competition. Study 2 demonstrates that self‐efficacy mediates the relationship between competition type and proenvironmental behavioral intention. Study 3 further finds that reputational reward mechanisms positively moderate the effect of competition type on self‐efficacy. Based on these findings, this research proposes effective strategies for enhancing proenvironmental behavioral intentions from a gamification perspective. It also provides theoretical foundations for the scientific design of competition‐based incentive mechanisms in green gamification and offers practical pathways for promoting public transitions toward low‐carbon lifestyles.
ABSTRACT The luxury market is shifting from conspicuous to conscious consumption, with access‐based consumption such as luxury rental having gained momentum as an alternative retail channel. Drawing on Self‐Determination Theory, this study investigates how sustainability motivation (intrinsic) and social recognition motivation (extrinsic) influence self‐congruity, brand experience, and re‐rental intention among current luxury renters. Study 1 comprised 251 Australian luxury renters and Study 2 included 348 Chinese luxury renters. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS‐SEM) and multi‐group analysis were conducted. The findings show that both motivations act as antecedents of self‐congruity, positively influencing brand personality congruity and brand user imagery congruity, which in turn enhance brand experience and re‐rental intention. Brand experience also directly predicts re‐rental intention in both countries, confirming its critical role in promoting access‐based luxury rentals. Results show that sustainability motivation has stronger effects on brand experience among Chinese renters, while social recognition motivation has stronger effects on brand personality congruity and brand user imagery congruity among Australian renters. Theoretically, this study extends self‐congruity theory to access‐based luxury consumption by identifying consumer motivations as antecedents of self‐congruity perceptions in the absence of ownership. Practically, this study offers implications for luxury brands seeking to position rental within their sustainability strategies.
ABSTRACT This research examines how consumer upcycling of luxury packaging shapes brand relationships. Across three experiments in varied contexts, we demonstrate that upcycling enhances repurchase intentions by elevating perceptions of symbolic value. The effects are moderated by social media engagement: brand and user interactions amplify the impact, whereas their absence attenuates it. These findings extend conspicuous consumption theory by highlighting packaging's symbolic role in luxury markets and advance understanding of consumer‐driven sustainability behaviours. Managerially, the results offer actionable guidance for leveraging packaging strategies to strengthen customer relationships and enrich brand experiences.
ABSTRACT Extant research has examined how financial message framing influences consumer behavior. However, little is known about whether the effectiveness of such messages depends on enduring individual traits such as Personal Saving Orientation (PSO)—a chronic disposition to integrate saving into daily life. Drawing on Construal Level Theory (CLT), we propose that message effectiveness depends on the fit between the construal level of financial messages and consumers' PSO. Specifically, high‐PSO consumers respond more favorably to low‐level (“how to save”) appeals, whereas low‐PSO consumers respond more favorably to high‐level (“why to save”) appeals. We further propose that construal‐PSO fit sequentially enhances perceived message relevance, goal importance, and ultimately willingness to save. The proposed model received consistent support across three experiments employing both scenario‐based manipulations and real financial advertisements. Our findings extend CLT by identifying PSO as a critical boundary condition for financial message framing and advance persuasion research by demonstrating that message‐trait fit shapes saving intentions through perceived relevance and goal importance. Managerially, the findings challenge one‐size‐fits‐all savings campaigns and show how tailoring “why” and “how” appeals to consumers' PSO enhances communication effectiveness.
