Home⇛International Journal of Multidisciplinary: Applied Business and Education Research⇛vol. 7 no. 7 (2026)

The Influence of Influencer Marketing Exposure and Parasocial Relationships on Impulse Buying Tendencies

Mary Rose D. Lastimosa | James Roeberl B. Monton | Monic Lei F. Quimbo | Lorence David D. Descartin | Nhilven Joice Y. Sabellano | Dominique A. Selma | Lalaine O. Narsico | Peter G. Narsico

Discipline: business studies

 

Abstract:

Influencer marketing is a popular form of social media advertising, and it is often targeted toward college students. It was observed that the consum- ers' purchase behavior was affected by the exposure to the influencer con- tent. But the psychological mechanisms of this relationship, especially par- asocial relationships, are still poorly understood. The study used a descrip- tive-correlational design to determine the relationship of influencer mar- keting exposure, parasocial relationships and impulse-buying tendencies of 412 university students in Cebu City. Data were collected using a struc- tured survey involving Likert scale questions and analysed using regres- sion techniques. The results showed that participants have a high level of exposure to influencer marketing (M = 3.66, Agree), weak parasocial rela- tionships (M = 2.76, Neutral) and low impulse buying tendencies (M = 2.47, Disagree). Students considered themselves as careful consumers with low impulsive tendencies, but these descriptive findings did not exclude the possibility of behavioral susceptibility. Results of the regression analysis revealed that exposure to influencer marketing was a significant predictor of impulse buying tendencies (R^2 =.12, p < .001) and parasocial relation- ship strength (R^2 =.11, p < .001). The results show that exposure and par- asocial relationships significantly predict impulse buying tendencies. The results suggest that mild low self-reported impulsivity is statistically re- lated to higher tendencies for impulsive buying when perceived familiarity with the influencers is taken together with exposure. The findings reveal the complex but positive effect of influencer marketing on consumer be- havior and the importance of ethical marketing, media literacy programs, and transparency in sponsorship disclosures. The study shows that expo- sure to influencer marketing is a significant predictor of college students' impulse buying behavior and the parasocial relationship plays an im- portant role in the relationship.



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