The American Journal of Management and Economics Innovations
119
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TYPE
Original Research
PAGE NO.
119-125
10.37547/tajmei/Volume07Issue05-15
OPEN ACCESS
SUBMITED
24 Arpil 2025
ACCEPTED
22May 2025
PUBLISHED
31 May 2025
VOLUME
Vol.07 Issue 05 2025
CITATION
Samoilenko Vladyslava. (2025). Psychology of influence: how
influencers are changing the consumer behavior of young people. The
American Journal of Management and Economics Innovations, 7(05),
119
–
125. https://doi.org/10.37547/tajmei/Volume07Issue05-15
COPYRIGHT
© 2025 Original content from this work may be used under the terms
of the creative commons attributes 4.0 License.
Psychology of influence:
how influencers are
changing the consumer
behavior of young people
Samoilenko Vladyslava
Brand Ambassador The Noli Shop New York, United States
Abstract:
The article examines the psychological
mechanisms through which social-media influencers
shape the consumer behavior of Generation Z youth. A
literature review identifies three primary channels of
influence: perceived influencer credibility, emotional
engagement via storytelling, and the stimulation of
impulse purchases. It is shown that decision-making
cycles among Generation Z are markedly shorter, and
that eco-influencers contribute to the formation of
sustainable consumption practices. An integrated
model is proposed, linking Uses and Gratifications
theory, principles of persuasion, and parasocial
identification as a mediating factor. The study’s
originality resides in its synthesis of these three
influence paradigms and in substantiating the role of
eco-influencers in advancing Sustainable Development
Goal 13. The insights presented will interest
researchers at the intersection of behavioral
economics and social psychology, as well as
professionals in digital marketing and strategic
communications who seek to understand the
cognitive-motivational
mechanisms
by
which
influencers alter the consumer attitudes of young
audiences. Moreover, the conclusions will be pertinent
to regulatory bodies and educational institutions
developing ethical standards and media-literacy
programs aimed at fostering critical appraisal of
advertising messages among youth.
Keywords
: psychology of influence, influencer
marketing,
consumer
behavior,
generation
Z,
sustainable consumption, social identification.
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INTRODUCTION
In recent years, the influence of social media influencers
(SMIs) on youth consumer behavior has extended
beyond traditional advertising, shaping new decision-
making models and spheres of trust in the online
environment. According to Alves de Castro C., O’
Reilly I.,
and Carthy A. [1], more than 70% of Generation Z
members make purchasing decisions based on
recommendations from bloggers and vloggers, and 63%
of these decisions are entirely impulsive. Concurrently,
Croes E. and Bartels J. [2] identified six motivations for
which young people (16
–
25 years old) follow SMIs,
ranging from information exchange to the need for
leisure activities. Considering that Generation Z
accounts for approximately 32% of the global population
and already comprises more than one-third of global
expenditures [2], investigating the psychological
mechanisms underlying this influence becomes
particularly relevant in the context of marketing and
social responsibility.
Research into the psychological mechanisms through
which influencers shape youth consumer behaviour can
be provisionally divided into four thematic clusters.
First, the conceptual foundations of marketing in new
media and identity construction have been elaborated
in studies that analyse overarching marketing paradigms
an
d the essence of influencing. Ntapıapıs N. T. [3] traces
the evolution of marketing concepts amid rapidly
changing digital platforms and emphasises that blogger
influence constitutes a logical extension of classical
promotion theories adapted to interactivity and content
personalisation. Schouten A. P., Janssen L., and
Verspaget M. [5] provide a comparative analysis of
celebrities and influencers, focusing on product
–
endorser fit and audience identification with the
communicator, demonstrating that young consumers
are more inclined to perceive a blogger as “one of their
own” than as an established celebrity. Zinderen İ. E. [7]
explores processes of self-construction within YouTube,
showing how young viewers build personal identity by
assimilating content from popular channels, which
heightens receptivity to embedded advertising
messages.
Second, a substantial div of research examines
mechanisms of identification, trust, and parasocial
interaction. Bartels J., Van Vuuren M., and Ouwerkerk J.
W. [4] investigate how virtual ties on Facebook
strengthen organisational identification, reporting a
transfer of trust from social interaction to consumer
decision-making. Sokolova K. and Kefi H. [8] analyses
Instagram and YouTube channels, revealing that the
degree of trust in a blogger and the depth of parasocial
interaction are directly correlated with youths’
willingness to purchase recommended products.
Vazquez D. et al. [9] study the relation between
narrative immersion and impulsive buying under
“second
-
screen” cond
itions, finding that narrative
techniques and elements of social commerce
significantly increase the likelihood of spontaneous
purchases when content viewing is accompanied by
engagement with brand pages.
Third, several empirical works concentrate on the
motivational drivers of youth and their connection to
purchasing decisions. Croes E. and Bartels J. [2] identify
three primary motives for subscribing to influencers
—
informational, entertainment, and socio-emotional
—
and demonstrate that each exerts a distinct influence on
the level of identification and subsequent buying
choices. Djafarova E. and Bowes T. [6] focus on
Generation Z and note a pronounced propensity for
impulsive fashion purchases under the impact of visually
attractive Instagram content, highlighting weak impulse
regulation in this age group. Rzayeva U. et al. [10]
examine the role of social networks in shaping youth
consumer behaviour in the Eurasian context, showing
that social platforms function not only as channels for
advertising dissemination but also as spaces for
collective discussion and normative reinforcement of
consumption patterns.
Finally, Alves de Castro C., O’Reilly I., and Carthy A. [1]
devote their study to sustainable consumption,
analysing how influencers can promote environmentally
oriented
solutions
among
adolescents;
they
demonstrate the potential of social opinion leaders to
foster more conscious consumer practices while also
noting the risk of green-washing in the absence of
genuine brand responsibility.
Despite the abundance of scholarship, the literature
exhibits
several
contradictions.
Some
authors
emphasise the pivotal role of trust and parasocial
interaction, whereas others stress motivational and
cognitive factors, complicating the development of a
unified influence model. In addition, a gap persists
between conceptual studies and empirical data:
interactions with niche influencers and micro-bloggers,
as well as cultural differences in the perception of
recommendations, remain insufficiently explored. The
long-term consequences of consumer habit formation
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under the influence of digital opinion leaders and the
counter-regulatory
mechanisms
—
such
as
the
development of youth media literacy
—
are also
underexamined.
The
objective
of the study is to analyze the impact of
influencers on consumer behavior among young people.
The
scientific novelty
lies in the development of a
comprehensive theoretical model of social media
influencers’ impact on Generation Z consumer behavior
through the synthesis of the uses and gratifications
p
aradigm, Cialdini’s principles of persuasion, and the
mechanism of parasocial identification, thereby
establishing for the first time the role of eco-influencers
as catalysts for sustainable consumption practices in the
context of Sustainable Development Goal 13 without
the creation of new instruments.
The
author’s hypothesis
posits that social identification
with an influencer (parasocial closeness) fully mediates
the effect of trust in the influencer’s recommendations
on impulsive purchasing decisions among Generation Z
consumers.
The
methodological
basis of the study is a comparative
analysis of findings from previous research in this field
demonstrating the influence of influencers on consumer
behavior among youth.
2. Theoretical foundations of psychological influence
Robert Cialdini’s work offers the most systematic
account of persuasion mechanisms, identifying six
universal principles of influence that are actively
employed by influencers in the digital environment [1,
2].
Table 1 presents these principles and illustrates their
application in influencer marketing.
Table 1. Six principles of influence identified by Cialdini and their application in influencer marketing (compiled
by the author based on the analysis: [1, 2])
Principle
Description
Application by influencers
Reciprocity
Tendency to return favors
Free guides or promo codes offered in
exchange for a like or subscription
Social proof
Individuals look to the behavior of the majority
when making decisions
Display of “majority opinions” through metrics
such as likes and views
Authority
Inclination to trust recognized experts
Positioning oneself as a niche expert (e.g.,
beauty or fitness blog)
Liking
Greater willingness to agree with those who are
liked or perceived as similar
Adoption of a friendly tone and presentation
of “real life”
Consistency
Desire to remain consistent with prior actions and
commitments
Invitations to “experience together,” regular
challenges
Scarcity
Perceiving goods or benefits as more valuable
when limited in time or quantity
Time-limited collaborations and exclusive
discounts
By employing these principles, influencers cultivate a
sense of trust and scarcity among their audiences,
leading to higher engagement and spontaneous
purchases [1].
The
uses-and-gratifications
approach
(UGT)
conceptualizes the audience as an active consumer of
media seeking to satisfy personal needs through
content. For young people (aged 16
–
25), six core
motivations for following influencers have been
identified [2]:
1.
Information exchange
—
sharing valuable data
with followers.
2.
Information seeking
—
learning about new
products and trends.
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3.
Trendiness
—
remaining
fashionable
and
maintaining an information-savvy image.
4.
Entertainment
—
relaxation
and
emotional
involvement.
5.
Companionship
—
reducing feelings of loneliness
through a sense of company.
6.
Boredom alleviation
—
habitual pastime without
a specific goal.
Each of these motivations creates preconditions for
establishing trust and subsequent acceptance of
influencer recommendations [2, 10].
Social identification explains why followers identify with
an influencer and perceive the influencer as part of their
own group, while parasocial relationships amplify trust
and loyalty:
• Social identification lowers perceived purchasing risk.
• Influencers who display shared values (e.g.,
environmentalism or lifestyle choices) activate pro-
social behavioral models [1, 3].
• Parasocial closeness enables the influen
cer to act as a
“friend,” strengthening the persuasive weight of
recommendations [5].
Thus, motivations framed by UGT act as triggers of
interest, Cialdini’s principles serve as instruments of
persuasion, and identification functions as the key
mediating link between content exposure and actual
consumer behavior.
3. The mechanisms of influence of influencers on the
decision-making process
The impact of social media influencers (SMIs) on
consumer decision-making operates through three
interconnected
mechanisms:
source-credibility
perception, emotional engagement through content,
and the stimulation of impulsive purchases.
The principal determinants of trust in an influencer’s
recommendations are expertise, trustworthiness, and
attractiveness. These three characteristics correlate
with the audience’s willingness to rely on and follow the
blogger’s advice.
Expertise denotes the demonstration of deep
knowledge within a niche (technology, beauty, fitness),
thereby increasing the perceived value of the
recommendation.
Trustworthiness refers to a sincere, non-sponsored tone
of
communication
that
strengthens
followers’
confidence.
Attractiveness lies in the consistency of the creator’s
visual style and charisma, which foster psychological
identification [1, 4].
Together, these elements establish the foundation of
“parasocial relationships,” a situation in which followers
perceive the influencer as a friend or acquaintance,
further lowering the psychological barrier to purchase.
Contemporary
influencers
rely
on
narrative
transportation
—
immersing the audience in the story
through
personal
anecdotes,
behind-the-scenes
revelations, and emotional appeals. This approach:
• Intensifies attention and retains viewers throughout
an entire video or post.
• Creates an emoti
onal bond through:
o Personal revelations (“this changed my life …”).
o Emotional hooks (music, dramatic editing).
o Invitations to participate (challenges, flash mobs).
Emotional engagement increases overall viewing
enjoyment and forms a “positive transferred state” in
which reception of the advertising message becomes
less critical and more inclined to accept the
recommendations [9, 10].
Influencers often employ techniques that encourage
spontaneous, impulsive purchases. According to
Djafarova E. and Bowes T. [6], up to 78 % of young
people have made a purchase solely because of a
blogger’s recommendation [6]. The main techniques
used by influencers are presented in Table 2.
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Table 2. Basic techniques for stimulating impulsive purchases (compiled by the author based on the analysis:
[6])
Technique type
Description
Example
Social proof
Displaying high engagement metrics (likes, views)
“Already 1 million followers have chosen
this cream!”
Urgency
/
scarcity
Limited-time promotions and collaborations
“30 % off today only until midnight!”
Exclusivity
A special promo code available only to the
influencer’s audience
“Code INFL20 gives 20 % off to all
followers”
Clickbait
headline
Provocative wording designed to arouse curiosity
“This product transformed my skin in just
five days”
Direct call to
action
Explicit instruction to purchase immediately
“Click the link in the bio and receive a gift”
These tactics, combined with high trust in the influencer,
sharply reduce deliberation time, shifting the process
from need recognition to instantaneous action.
4. Changes in youth consumer behavior
Generation Z (born 1995
–
2010) emerged in a digital
environment in which social networks not merely
complement but determine every stage of the
purchasing process. Three key transformations in their
consumer behaviour are examined below.
The classical five-stage consumer decision-making
model comprises
1.
Need recognition
2.
Information search
3.
Evaluation of alternatives
4.
Purchase
5.
Post-purchase reactions.
For Generation Z, a “closed” funnel is typical:
immediately after recognising a need and after an
extremely brief information-search phase
—
often only a
few seconds on Google
—
they proceed directly to
purchase, frequently bypassing extensive evaluation of
alternatives [6, 7]. Post-purchase reactions shift to the
online realm: sharing reviews and unboxing videos
becomes as significant as the ownership experience
itself.
A pronounced shift toward impulsive buying and social
conformity is observed. Alves de Castro et al. [1] report
that 63 % of Generation Z social-media users make
unplanned purchases influenced by blogger content.
Croes and Bartels [2] show that the motive of
“boredom
alleviation” correlates directly with an immediate
willingness to buy a recommended product.
• FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). Continuous feed
comparison intensifies the urge to be the first to
purchase a seasonal hit, reinforcing social proof
pressure [8].
• Social conformity. Seventy
-eight percent of
respondents in this cohort discovered new products
through video blogs, and 33 % use social networks
primarily for purchase inspiration.
Green consumption and the role of eco-influencers.
Alves de Castro et al. highlight that sustainable
consumption has already become part of Generation Z’s
value system:
• Influencers focused on environmental responsibility
(green influencers) can shift attention from short-term
benefits to long-term climate impact.
• Thi
rty-two percent of Generation Z representatives are
willing to pay a premium for environmentally friendly
goods and services [1, 2].
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The changes in Generation Z consumer behaviour will be illustrated below in Figure 1.
Fig.1. Changes in consumer behavior of generation Z (compiled by the author based on the analysis: [1, 2]).
Thus, the shift to digital consumption has produced
among young people a shorter decision-making cycle, an
increased share of impulse purchases, and a high
tolerance for price premiums tied to environmental
responsibility. Influencers serve as catalysts for these
shifts by intensifying fear of missing out (FOMO) and
promoting green alternatives within the framework of
Sustainable Development Goal 13: Climate Action.
5.CONCLUSION
The conducted analysis identified the principal patterns
shaping how influencers affect Generation Z. By
combining
expertise,
sincerity,
and
charisma,
influencers create a robust parasocial bond with their
audiences, thereby increasing trust in the messages
conveyed.
Emotional engagement is achieved through dynamic
storytelling and the mechanism of narrative
transportation, both of which sustain consumer
attention and reduce critical scrutiny of advertising
content.
Social-validation techniques, together with tactics that
generate a sense of urgency and scarcity, stimulate
impulsive purchases; young consumers frequently move
from need recognition to purchase within mere seconds
of viewing an advertisement.
Generation Z’s decision
-making cycle is contracting:
more than 60 % of purchases are made spontaneously,
with virtually no comparative evaluation of alternatives,
underscoring the importance of swift, emotionally
charged marketing influence.
Influencers’ “green” impact is reflected in the
willingness of roughly 32 % of young consumers to pay
premium prices for environmentally friendly products,
opening a new niche for sustainable marketing and
highlighting the growing demand for responsible goods.
At the theoretical level, the integrated model unites
motivations from Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT),
Robert Cialdini’s six principles of persuasion, and the
mechanism of social identification within a single
framework, thereby extending existing influencer-
marketing concepts. From a practical standpoint,
emphasis should be placed on communication
transparency, authenticity, and the emotional depth of
content; collaboration with eco-influencers offers an
additional advantage in promoting sustainable products.
The study’s limitations arise from its exclusive focus on
Generation Z, necessitating validation of the model in
other age cohorts and cultural contexts. Promising
avenues for further research include a thorough
examination of the long-term effects of green influencer
content on behavioural change and the contribution of
influencers to the formation and maintenance of social
movements.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Finding inspiration on
social media, %
The proportion of
unplanned purchases, %
Willingness to pay more
for sustainable products,
%
The influence of "majority
opinions" on choice, %
Before the age of social media
Currently
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In sum, social-media influencers act not merely as
advertising platforms but as powerful agents of
psychological influence, capable of driving rapid surges
in impulsive consumer demand while simultaneously
advancing the values of sustainable development.
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