Goal conflict influences impulsive consumption behavior among Chinese customers: A moderated mediation model

When goal conflict arises in consumer activities as priorities shift to one goal at the expense of others, do consumer purchasing behaviors tend toward greater rationality or impulsiveness? In this study we investigated the underlying interaction mechanism between goal conflict and impulsive consumption by analyzing 372 survey responses using Mplus version 7.4. The key finding was that there was a negative correlation between goal conflict and impulsive consumption, with need for cognitive closure and construal level playing mediating roles in this relationship, and uncertainty avoidance having a moderating influence on this relationship. These findings not only enrich the theoretical framework of consumer behavior research but also offer practical insights for curbing irrational impulse purchases.