Hedonic and utilitarian gratifications to the use of tiktok by generation z and the parasocial relationships with influencers as a mediating force to

Flecha-Ortiz, Vivian Feliberty-Lugo, Maria Santos-Corrada,Evelyn Lopez & Virgin Dones 2023 Hedonic and Utilitarian Gratifications to the Use ofTikTok by Generation Z and the Parasocial R

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Hedonic and Utilitarian Gratifications to the Use

of TikTok by Generation Z and the Parasocial Relationships with Influencers as a Mediating Force to Purchase Intention

José A Flecha-Ortiz, Vivian Feliberty-Lugo, Maria Santos-Corrada, Evelyn Lopez & Virgin Dones

To cite this article: José A Flecha-Ortiz, Vivian Feliberty-Lugo, Maria Santos-Corrada,

Evelyn Lopez & Virgin Dones (2023) Hedonic and Utilitarian Gratifications to the Use of TikTok by Generation Z and the Parasocial Relationships with Influencers as a Mediating Force to Purchase Intention, Journal of Interactive Advertising, 23:2, 114-127, DOI:

10.1080/15252019.2023.2195403

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/15252019.2023.2195403

Published online: 17 May 2023.

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Hedonic and Utilitarian Gratifications to the Use of TikTok by Generation Z and the Parasocial Relationships with Influencers as a Mediating Force to

Purchase Intention

Jos
e A Flecha-Ortiza

, Vivian Feliberty-Lugoa, Maria Santos-Corradab, Evelyn Lopeza, and Virgin Donesa a

Universidad Ana G Mendez, Gurabo, Puerto Rico;bUniversidad de Puerto Rico Recinto de Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico

ABSTRACT

New social network platforms such as TikTok have grown into new, more interactive

con-tent formats that appeal to younger generational groups Through uses and gratifications

(U&G) theory, we examined how hedonic gratifications through passive use of TikTok gratify

utilitarian needs, triggering active use as self-expression and social interaction We also

examined how self-expression and social interaction drive user-generated content and

para-social relationships (PSR) with the influencers as a mediating force to purchase intention A

research model was established and analyzed using structural equation modeling through

an online survey of 403 TikTok users and members of Generation Z The data reflected that

TikTok significantly gratifies modality-based gratifications and agency-based gratifications and

interactive-based gratifications in Generation Z users The data also identified that the

cogni-tive, affeccogni-tive, and behavioral aspects of PSR do not occur separately Instead, they act

sys-tematically as specific needs are met through U&G.

KEYWORDS

Influencers; parasocial;

purchase intent; use;

user-generated content

The motivations for using social networks (SNSs)

have specific characteristics, such as forms and means

of access, that describe how interaction,

communica-tion, relationship, and identity are created (Ruano and

Maca 2017) However, studies detail that generational

groups’ motivations to use SNSs reflect a diversity of

motivations and behaviors (Williams et al 2012;

Zheng et al 2011) As SNSs evolve, younger

genera-tions have become more dependent on these

technolo-gies They use SNSs with greater intensity to satisfy

needs for self-expression and social interaction

(Bucknell-Bossen and Kottasz 2020) Generation Z

digital natives present a particular generational group

of interest that allows us to understand motivations to

use SNSs This generational group is distinguished by

spending significant time using a mobile device; they

avoid advertising and spend less time with other

clas-sic media (Southgate 2017) Another distinguishing

factor is that Generation Z has a direct, informal, and

individual way of communicating—SNSs have become

an essential part of the way the members of this gen-eration establish interpersonal relationships (Singh and Dangmei, 2016; Cho, Bonn, and Han2018)

As consumers, members of Generation Z tend to avoid advertising (Southgate 2017) Moreover, opinion leaders and reference groups highly influence purchasing decisions (Beregovskaya and Grishaeva 2020; Francis and Hoefel 2018; Garc
ıa-Rivero, Mart
ınez Estrella, and Bonales Daimiel 2022) Generation Z consumers remember more brands that appear as sponsored (Garc
ıa-Rivero, Mart
ınez Estrella, and Bonales Daimiel

2022), expect co-creation with brands (Grigoreva, Garifova, and Polovkina 2021), and desire to access and evaluate information (Francis and Hoefel 2018) They see consumption and its linkage with brands as an expression of individual identity (Francis and Hoefel

2018) Francis and Hoefel (2018) state that the idea of manifesting individual identity has made Generation Z

Campus, PO Box 3030, PR 00778 Gurabo, Puerto Rico.

Jos
e A Flecha-Ortiz is an assistant professor in Marketing and Management at Department of Business, Tourism & Entrepreneurship at Universidad Ana G M
endez.

Vivian Filiberty-Lugo is a doctoral student of Management of Universidad Ana G Mendez (AABSB) and a professor in Hospitality Management and Marketing in Universidad Ana G Mendez Carolina Campus.

Maria Santos-Corrada is an Assistant Professor in Marketing at School of Graduate Business Administration at Universidad de Puerto Rico recinto de Rio Piedras Evelyn Lopez is an assistant professor in Entrepreneurship and Management at the School of Business and Entrepreneurship at Universidad Ana G M
endez Virgin Dones is an associate professor in Marketing and International Business at Department of Business, Tourism & Entrepreneurship at Universidad Ana

G M
endez.

ß 2023 American Academy of Advertising

https://doi.org/10.1080/15252019.2023.2195403

consumers more adept at interpreting trends Therefore,

SNSs have become ideal tools for analyzing the online

behaviors of this generation (Garc
ıa-Rivero, Mart
ınez

Estrella, and Bonales Daimiel 2022) Utilitarian and

hedonic motives encourage individuals to make

purchases online after satisfying specific individual

socialization needs (Veybitha et al 2021) One of the

fastest-growing and most widely used platforms by

Generation Z is TikTok

With over one billion users worldwide, TikTok has

become the leading SNS among Generation Z (Statista

2021) TikTok is an SNS of short videos, creative

music, and fun challenges that seek interaction with

its users (Wang, Gu, and Wang 2019) According to

data from the TikTok for Business portal (2021), this

SNS ranks number one in advertising equity

world-wide, where 92% of users express having acted after

seeing an ad—inviting users to interact with brands

TikTok offers users a space for content creation (i.e.,

user-generated content [UGC]) as self-expression and

social interaction (Zuo and Wang 2019) TikTok

con-tributes to users encountering sensory stimuli

com-bined with interactive social communication, which

requires less cognitive load This is because TikTok’s

decentralized content model allows easy linking with

other users worldwide This ease of linking and

inter-activity allows its users to gain followers quickly

These forms of linking and interactivity can satisfy its

users’ need to be a celebrity on the network TikTok’s

ease of linking its users to influencers worldwide is of

particular interest Studies show that the relationship

with influencers generates strong linkages and

interac-tions (Wang, Gu, and Wang 2019; Xu, Yan, and

Zhang 2019; Xiao, Wang, and Wang 2019) This ease

of linking with influencers increases the intention to

purchase the brands offered by the influencers more

significantly than other forms of advertising

(Beregovskaya and Grishaeva 2020; Garc
ıa-Rivero,

Mart
ınez Estrella, and Bonales Daimiel 2022; Droesch

2020)

Beregovskaya and Grishaeva (2020) explain that for

Generation Z, the increase in purchase intention is

influenced by opinion leaders and reference groups

Therefore, the study of parasocial relationships (PSRs)

can help to explain purchase intention in Generation

Z PSRs are false social relationships that may develop

an audience for any media character (Horton and

Wohl 1956) Through marketing, a PSR becomes a

force that mediates purchase intention (Zogaj,

Tscheulin, and Olk2021; Masuda, Han, and Lee 2022;

Kim and Kim 2021; Gong and Li 2017; Shan, Chen,

and Lin 2020; Yuan and Lou 2020) The gratifications

experienced by users of SNSs can explain this phe-nomenon, but the literature on SNSs is not yet com-prehensive in studying this phenomenon in Generation Z Moreover, in the SNS literature con-sulted, no studies identify behavioral factors that explain how a PSR is established More research is needed that analyzes new social and psychological phenomena in Generation Z and the implications of these phenomena for marketing (Southgate 2017;

Iv
anyi and B
ır
o-Szigeti 2019; Thomas, Kavya, and Monica 2018)

Thus, this quantitative study with an exploratory approach through the uses and gratifications (U&G) theory and PSR theoretical model by Hartmann, Schramm, and Klimmt (2004) was guided by the fol-lowing research objectives: first, to analyze how the passive use of TikTok in Generation Z users gratifies hedonic needs and how utilitarian motives trigger active use through UGC as self-expression and social interaction; second, to analyze whether UGC gratifies utilitarian needs and explains PSR through affective, cognitive, and behavioral factors Likewise, the study examined whether PSR is a mediating force to the purchase intention of Generation Z users Finally, the explanatory power of each dimensional variable

of UGC and PSR was analyzed The results reflected that TikTok significantly gratifies Modality-based gratifications and agency-based and interactive-based gratifications in Generation Z users The results detail that the cognitive, affective, and behavioral fac-tors of PSR do not occur separately but act systemat-ically as specific needs are met through U&G This study’s theoretical and practical contributions explain how new SNSs trigger behaviors that effectively link marketing actions in SNSs We discuss the relevant literature, method, conclusions, and implications as well as our study’s limitations and ideas for future research

Theoretical Framework Theory of U&G

The U&G theory proposes that people actively seek media content to satisfy particular individual needs (Katz, Blumler, and Gurevitch 1973) Katz, Blumler, and Gurevitch’s (1973) user-centered study began by first analyzing usage Further research has examined how a user addresses a target through media (Karimi et al 2014; Quan-Haase 2012) as well as how the communication medium satisfies specific cognitive and affective needs that users experience (Quan-Haase

2012; Karimi et al 2014; Huang and Zhou 2018;

Ruggiero 2000; McCay-Peet and Quan-Haase 2016).

Sundar and Limperos (2013) posit that the evolution

of U&G should focus on building theory by

identify-ing five new types of gratification in SNSs based on:

Modality (methods of content presentation)

Agency (how users become sources of information)

Interactivity (accessibility to the user to take part

in the content)

Navigability (the user’s movement through the

medium)

This is how U&G research evaluates user action

rather than influence (Pang 2016) We extend this

analysis to Generation Z and TikTok usage behavior

Use of TikTok

How SNSs are used is one of the most analyzed

varia-bles in the SNS literature Motivations for SNS use

vary individually among users (Chi 2011) SNSs have

been found to facilitate interactivity, information

seek-ing, content interaction, and active collaboration

(Song and Yoo 2016) Users use SNSs by passively

consuming, participating, and contributing (Shao

2009), which in turn builds connections among

inter-action, communication, and relationship and identity

(Ruano and Maca 2017; Shao 2009) The user may

begin passively, by analyzing and comparing the lives

of others through surveillance (Shao 2009; Whiting

and Williams 2013) Hedonic gratifications explain

passive SNS use Hedonic gratification is related to

pleasure-seeking and is described as a series of

activ-ities that make a user feel good (Seligman 2004) SNS

users gain hedonic pleasure by being entertained,

relaxing, or simply spending time on the SNS (Gan

and Li2018; Li, Chen, and Popiel2015)

A few articles have highlighted the use of TikTok

by Generation Z users for relaxing and reducing

stress, through the psychological pleasure gained by

watching TikTok’s often short, easy, and fun videos

(Wang, Gu, and Wang 2019; Omar and Dequan

2020) Our study further analyzes this use of TikTok

by Generation Z users to gain hedonic pleasure—to

gratify needs to get rid of stress, relax, and reduce the

pressures of everyday life

Studies have also focused on the way younger

gener-ational groups use SNSs to expand followers (Mesch

and Talmud2010) SNSs can satisfy the need to

estab-lish relationships with others, and SNSs mobilize their

users to engage in content creation (UGC) as

self-expression and social interaction (Plume and Slade

2018; Leiner et al 2018; de Vries et al 2017; Punyanunt-Carter, De La Cruz, and Wrench 2017; Gan and Li 2018; Omar and Dequan 2020) The satisfaction

of hedonic gratification then triggers utilitarian gratifica-tion Utilitarianism explains how a person acts to pro-duce the consequences of an action Utilitarianism involves a shift from passive to active behavior (Veybitha et al 2021) Utilitarian gratification explains how a user in an SNS satisfies specific needs for self-expression and social interaction (Papacharissi and Mendelson 2011; Liu, Cheung, and Lee 2016) UGC in TikTok enables various forms of self-expression and social interaction that generate responses from other users (Bucknell-Bossen and Kottasz2020) Thus, passive use of SNSs leads to active use (Verduyn et al 2020; Dienlin and Johannes 2020; Verduyn et al.2017) to sat-isfy the needs for self-expression and social interaction (Omar and Dequan 2020; Harrigan et al 2021) Users actively generate content to establish visibility and links with other users (Bucknell-Bossen and Kottasz 2020; Cho, Bonn, and Han 2018; Xiao, Wang, and Wang

2019; Erz, Marder, and Osadchaya2018; Tang2019) Studies of interest highlight that using TikTok signifi-cantly activates social interaction and self-expression, fos-tering a strong linkage with brands and influencers (Zuo and Wang 2019; Omar and Dequan (2020) TikTok’s decentralized content model can explain this rapid link-age where passive uslink-age behavior and monitoring factors drive content creation (UGC) TikTok allows users to receive faster reactions or comments, which further motivates UGC Reactions are often based on the quality and quantity of the content published, regardless of the number of followers Content often facilitates its own viralization, allowing users to be generators of influence and bringing exponential growth to the user’s follower base (Yang, Zhao, and Ma2019; Xiao, Wang, and Wang

2019) Therefore, using SNSs transforms and influences the user’s self-concept (Harrigan et al.2021) Self-expres-sion and social interaction become primary sources for content creation to increase a user’s visibility on an SNS (Bucknell-Bossen and Kottasz 2020; Langner, Hennigs, and Wiedmann 2013, Singh and Dangmei 2016; Cho, Bonn, and Han 2018; Xiao, Wang, and Wang 2019; Erz, Marder, and Osadchaya 2018; Tang 2019; Bucknell-Bossen and Kottasz 2020) It is against this background that we posit:

H1 The psychological pleasure produced by using TikTok gratifies Generation Z’s content creation actions as self-expression

H2 The psychological pleasure produced by the use of TikTok gratifies Generation Z’s content creation actions as a form of social interaction

UGC through Self-Expression and Social

Interaction

Boyd and Ellison (2007) explain that UGC involves

communicating and participating in a communication

medium Fern
andez-Castrillo (2014) defines UGC as

any content format created and distributed by one or

more non-professional individuals UGC begins to be

manifested once SNS users gratify their initial hedonic

pleasure (Veybitha et al 2021; Papacharissi and

Mendelson 2011)—users then seek the gratification of

utilitarian needs through active use A user’s active

behavior in SNSs through UGC can be manifested

through (a) a critical audience, (b) a social audience,

and (c) a creative audience (Benassini 2014) UGC

can be analyzed as a multidimensional variable that is

explained by (a) self-expression, (b) social interaction,

(c) entertainment, (d) passing the time, (e)

informa-tion, and (f) professional promotion (Papacharissi

2003; Lastra 2016) Thus, this study analyzes the active

use of TikTok as a utilitarian gratification that triggers

UGC, focused on the dimensions of self-expression

and social interaction

Self-expression is defined as expressing thoughts

and feelings (Goffman 1959; Kim and Ko 2011;

Dimofte, Goodstein, and Brumbaugh 2015) Social

interaction refers to particular forms of externalities in

which the actions of a reference group affect an

indi-vidual’s preferences (Scheinkman 2008) Previous

UGC studies establish that social interaction

propiti-ates users’ need to receive “likes” and comments

(Bucknell-Bossen and Kottasz 2020) UGC activates

participatory actions as a link to self-expression

(Gentina and Rowe 2020; Bucknell-Bossen and

Kottasz 2020) U&G studies on SNSs identified that

seeking constant validation from other users (Gentina

and Rowe 2020; Bucknell-Bossen and Kottasz 2020),

desire for fame (Rui and Stefanone 2016), and desire

for visibility (Xiao, Wang, and Wang2019) are

signifi-cantly driven by motives of self-expression (Erz,

Marder, and Osadchaya 2018) and social interaction

(Tang 2019) SNS use itself precedes and explains

various forms of self-expression and social interaction

by SNS users (Rui and Stefanone2016)

Our study’s research on self-expression is directed

at how Generation Z users share their attitudes,

thoughts, and self-expression activities through

TikTok’s model of short videos and challenges We

also analyze social interaction through the way a user

may create content to be presentable and in the way

the user satisfies the needs that other users may have

(Wheeler and Nezlek 1977; Duck 1991; Schlenker

1980) One attraction of TikTok is the easy linking of

users with influencers and brands, through which companies seek to convert this force as a source of social capital This social influence is conducive to UGC (Langner, Hennigs, and Wiedmann 2013) Meservy et al (2019) identified rewarding social cap-ital in SNSs and the rapid bonding and relationship building with others, which can be explained as a form of PSR (de B
erail, Guillon, and Bungener 2019) The role of an influencer through PSR becomes a force that mediates marketing tactics and purchase motivation (Zogaj, Tscheulin, and Olk 2021; Shan, Chen, and Lin 2020; Gong and Li 2017) It is because

of this background that we posit:

H3 TikTok UGC by Generation Z users is a multidi-mensional variable explained by:

H3aSelf-expression

H3bSocial interaction

PSR and Purchase Intention

The seminal works of Horton and Wohl (1956) define PSRs as false social relationships which an audience develops toward any media personality This media personality is perceived as a person close to the user Kim (2020) further highlights that SNSs may have changed the traditional definition of PSR By propos-ing the PSR as a unilateral and imaginary relationship, SNSs may enable more tangible and reciprocal PSRs Studies of PSRs have constructed various scales to measure these false relationships (Cheney 1983; Rubin and Perse 1987; Rubin, Palmgreen, and Sypher 2009; Hartmann, Schramm, and Klimmt 2004; Hartmann and Goldhoorn 2011; Auter and Palmgreen 2000) Hartmann, Schramm, and Klimmt (2004) scales in particular provide a more precise delineation of PSR

by analyzing the response to three factors:

1 Cognitive

a Include dimensions of attention, comprehen-sion, media activation, person evaluations, anticipatory observation, and relationship building

2 Affective

a Include through its dimensions of sympathy

vs antipathy, empathy vs counter-empathy, and emotional contagion

3 Behavioral

a Include through its dimensions verbal, non-verbal behavior, and behavioral intentions

Schramm and Hartmann (2008) clarify that users

can respond to a character without activating the

three response factors PSRs in SNSs can explained by

cognitive and affective factors (Aw and Chuah 2021;

Al-Farraj et al.2021) Schramm and Hartmann (2008)

analyzed the affective dimension as measured by

sym-pathy and emotion contagion, and they analyzed the

behavioral response by measuring behavioral

inten-tion They analyzed each dimension through the

TikTok content model

Horton and Wohl (1956) emphasize that PSR is a

mediating variable in analyzing various phenomena

Even Kim (2020) places PSR as a mediating force to

purchase intention Researchers define purchase

inten-tion as a consumer’s inteninten-tion, motivainten-tion, or willingness

to purchase a product or service (Aluri, Slevitch, and

Larzelere 2016; Alalwan 2018) The literature highlights

that a PSR between users and influencers in SNSs is a

force that positively mediates purchase intention, thus

explaining behavior Purchase intention was mediated by

adjustment to consumers’ personalities (Zogaj, Tscheulin,

and Olk 2021), perceived congruence (Masuda, Han,

and Lee2022; Kim and Kim 2021; Gong and Li 2017),

endorsement behavior (Shan, Chen, and Lin2020), trust

and credibility (Gong and Li2017; Yuan and Lou 2020;

Lee and Watkins 2016), content type (Lou and Kim

2019; Lou 2022) and gratification factors (Yang and Ha

2021; Lim and Kim 2011; Kim 2020) One study of

TikTok details that gratification and PSR are explained

by the degree of user knowledge, which positively affects

purchase intention (Yang and Ha2021) It is because of

this background that we posit:

H4UGC by Generation Z through links of

self-expres-sion and active social interaction significantly PSR

through:

H4aCognitive response

H4bThe affective response

H4cBehavioral response

H5 PSR, through the use of TikTok, explains a

unilat-eral and imaginary relationship which is activated by:

H5aCognitive response

H5bAffective response

H5cBehavioral response

H6 PSR mediates UGC by Generation Z through

self-expression and social interaction links to

significantly influence purchase intent through the use

of TikTok

Method

This exploratory study recruited 403 participants through an electronic survey of active TikTok users and members of Generation Z The exploratory study model was ideal for this research, as the behavioral actions of consumers and influencers through TikTok need to be clearly defined The results to be discussed allow for a better understanding of how various forms of behavior occur on new social platforms such as TikTok The inclusion criteria for participants was that they had to

be between 21 and 25 years old and active users of TikTok Data collection was through an electronic sur-vey using the database owned by the researchers The study employed a non-replacement sampling technique This type of sampling is more significant than other methods because non-replacement sampling does not allow the same element of the population to enter the sample more than once (Malhotra 2020) To execute this type of sampling, the survey was protected and coded so that participants could only access it on a sin-gle occasion If a participant dropped out or took another action, the survey was immediately rejected, and the participant needed help to re-access it The data collection culminated with 895 surveys, with 403 completed for analysis

The demographic data reflect that 66.50% of partic-ipants were female (n¼ 268) and 33.50% were male (n¼ 135) This distribution by gender in our sample was slightly different than the standard gender distri-bution of TikTok usage Statistics on TikTok use in the United States reflect that 61% of its users are female and the other 39% are male (Statista 2021) Similarly, global data reflects that 60% of users are female and 40% are male (Iqbal2021)

Among our participants, 56.33% (n¼ 227) spent one hour a day using TikTok, while 29.28% (n¼ 118) spent up to two hours daily and 14.39% (n¼ 58) spent

3 hours or more This use time is consistent with standard TikTok usage statistics, which reflect that users spend an average of 52 minutes per day on the platform (Statista 2021) Finally, we analyzed our results using partial least squares structural equations, for the research model proposed in Figure 1

Research Instrument

According to the research objectives, an instrument was developed based on the relevant literature Each

questionnaire item used a five-point Likert scale where

participants responded from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5

(strongly agree) The construction of the questionnaire

and the items used can be seen in Table 1 The

vari-able TikTok use employed four items Each item

meas-ured passive use behavior through hedonic pleasure

(Shao 2009; Whiting and Williams 2013) Each

asser-tion indexed the passive use of TikTok as relaxaasser-tion,

reduction of pressures, and relief of day-to-day stress

(Wang, Gu, and Wang 2019; Omar and Dequan

2020) We count thirteen items for the UGC variable

to analyze how TikTok use turns its users into active

users through utilitarian gratification through

self-expression (six items) and social interaction (seven

items) dimensions Each item employed the

construc-tion guidelines of gratification scales in SNSs

established by Sundar and Limperos (2013), where each assertion was edited according to the TikTok content model The items probed the satisfaction of needs through the expression of self and the need for other users to observe the self

We used the scales proposed by Hartmann, Schramm, and Klimmt (2004) for the PSR variable This variable had six items, and the items were modi-fied according to the TikTok content model Each item analyzed the user’s response through the cogni-tive factor (one item for the dimension of a person’s attention and one for constructing relationships) The affective factor (one item for the sympathy dimension and one item for emotion contagion) Finally, the behavioral factor (two items) was analyzed from the behavioral intention dimension Finally, the purchase

Table 1 Validity and reliability

Measure Items

Loading Factor

Cronbach ’s Alpha

Composite Reliability AVE

I escape the pressures of daytime when viewing content on TikTok 0.928

My stress is reduced when I use TikTok 0.912

TikTok allows me to give my opinion 0.702

Self-expression

TikTok allows me to give my opinion 0.702

TikTok gives me the power to broadcast messages to my followers 0.702

I participated in the challenge to see if my video would go viral 0.801

I enjoy expressing myself in TikTok 0.879

I like to express myself in TikTok 0.876

Sharing my personal experiences in TikTok is rewarding 0.824

Social Interaction

In TikTok, I can connect with others 0.729

TikTok allows me to interact in a different space 0.765

I communicate with other users through TikTok 0.722

TikTok meets my socialization needs differently 0.814

I like the idea of my video going viral through TikTok 0.865

Cognitive

The influencers I follow on TikTok their style is like mine 0.889

I follow the #challenges of my favorite influencers 0.900

Affective

I like the products used by the influencers in TikTok 0.850

I love using TikTok to see my favorite influencers 0.871

Behavioral

I ’ve reviewed some of the products that TikTok influencers use 0.839

I have created videos of dances and others made by my favorite influencers 0.861

I have purchased products or services that I have observed TikTok influencers using 0.854

I have been motivated to buy a product or service when I see a TikTok influencer

promoting it

0.864

Using TikTok has allowed me to save money when purchasing 0.751

AVE ¼ average variance extracted.

Tik Tok

Use

UGC

Self-Expression Social Interaction

PSI

Cognitive Affective Behaivoral

Purchase Intention

Figure 1 Research model

intention variable had three items Each item

exam-ined the intention, motivation, or willingness to

pur-chase products offered by influencers (Aluri, Slevitch,

and Larzelere2016; Alalwan2018)

Validity and Reliability of the Study

The summary in Table 1 analyzes the alpha

coeffi-cients, the compositive reliability factor loading, and

the convergent validity, where all the data meet the

criterion of 70 (Hair et al 2021; Henseler, Ringle,

and Sarstedt 2015; Henseler, Ringle, and Sinkovics

2009) Similarly, the average variance extracted (AVE)

analysis reflects values above 50 We conclude that

the latent variables explain more than half of the

vari-ance on their indicators (Hair et al.2021) Finally, the

discriminant validity data used in HTMT analysis

reflected in Table 2, leading to the conclusion that

there are no problems between variables that could

have the same meaning by reflecting lower values

according to the criterion of 85, where this first part

reflects that the study shows high validity and

reliabil-ity for presenting results (Henseler, Ringle, and

Sarstedt2015; Hair et al.2021)

Structural Model Analysis

Before estimating results, we performed a collinearity

analysis using the variance inflation factor (VIF) The

results indicated that the VIF values for all constructs

were between 1.0 and 3.6 They could conclude that

the structural model would be a good fit for

estimat-ing results No inflation values higher than 5.0 and a

tolerance level lower than 2.0 were observed (Hair

et al 2021) Similarly, Figure 2 of the research model

shows the variance explained for the endogenous

con-structs The data reflect higher values of R2 > 50 for

most variables (Hair et al.2021) They were observing

reflected with a high mean variance, only two

multidimensional variables: R2 ¼ 47 (self-expression) and R2 ¼ 49 (affective factor) Finally, these results were contrasted with the blindfolding analysis, Q2

(blindfolding) Where the criterion to validate the cross-predictive relevance validated the reflected data:

R2: They concluded that the research model maintains

a high predictive power (Hair et al 2021)

The next step is to calculate the size of the predict-ive significance f2 where values of 0.35, 0.15, and 0.02 show large, medium, and a small effects on the sam-ple All the data for f2 were more significant than 35, reflecting that each observed variable has a large effect between the exogenous construct and its correspond-ing endogenous construct (Hair et al 2021) In the end, the correlation data and the significance scores for the proposed hypothesis soon to be discussed allow us to support nomological validity The results are consistent with the theoretical direction as well as the sample size and the significance of the correlations (Hair, Howard, and Nitzl 2020; Adcock and Collier

2001) Analyzing the alpha coefficients, compositive reliability, factor loading, AVE values, and HTMT data and establishing the nomological validity and predictive validity lead to conclude that the data to be analyzed for the proposed research model are also confirmatory This is congruent with the criteria of confirmatory composite analysis (CCA; Hair, Howard, and Nitzl 2020)

Results Hypothesis Test

The analysis of whether the psychological pleasure pro-duced by the use of TikTok gratifies in Generation Z UGC actions through the dimensions of self-expression (H1 (b ¼ 0.68; p < 01; t ¼ 25.176; t > 1.960) and social interaction (H2 b ¼ 0.77; p < 01; t ¼ 35.006; t > 1.960) finds that both hypotheses are supported We then analyzed whether self-expression and social interaction are dimensions that explain UGC as a second-order variable within the structural model The hierarchical component models (HCM) method was used to analyze these two dimensions The HCM analysis within the structural model allows for a reduction in the number

of relationships, providing a detailed understanding of how each dimension acts for the first-order variable

Tik Tok

=.55

Figure 2 Research results

Table 2 Discriminant validity

PSR Purchase Intention UGC TikTok Use PSR

Purchase intention 0.890

TikTok use 0.744 0.683 0.819

(Hair et al 2018) The repeated indicator approach

proposed by Ringle, Sarstedt, and Straub (2012) was

used to analyze each dimension, where the level of

importance is analyzed through significance levels

according to Boostraping procedure (Ringle, Sarstedt,

and Straub 2012; Hair et al 2018) H3 was supported:

UGC is a multidimensional construct that is explained

first by social interaction (b ¼ 0.49; p < 01; t ¼ 52.247;

t> 1.960) followed by self-expression (b ¼ 0.54; p < 01;

t¼ 52.247; t > 1.960)

The results of H4 support the hypothesis by

reflect-ing that UGC by Generation Z in TikTok users

sig-nificantly activates PSR across its dimensions of (H4aÞ

cognitive response (b ¼ 0.70; p < 01; t ¼ 26.016;

t> 1.960); ðH4b) affective response (b ¼ 0.70; p < 0.01;

t¼ 25.084; t > 1.960); and (H4c) behavioral response

(b ¼ 0.75; p < 01; t ¼ 32.884; t > 1.960) ðH4b) affective

response (b ¼ 0.70; p < 0.01; t ¼ 25.084; t > 1.960);

and (H4c) behavioral response (b ¼ 0.75; p < 01;

t¼ 32.884; t > 1.960) Then H5 analyzed each PSR

dimension as a first-order variable to observe

theoret-ically whether any of the three types of responses are

activated Where the HCM results support the

hypothesis, the cognitive response first explains PSR

(H5a: b ¼ 0.35; p < 01; t ¼ 41.046; t > 1.960), followed

by the affective response (H4b: b ¼ 0.38; p < 01;

t¼ 39.156; t > 1.960) and finally the behavioral

response (H5c: b ¼ 0.35; p < 01; t ¼ 35.102; t > 1.960)

The data reflect that TikTok activates the types of

PSR responses in Generation Z users In the end, the

mediation analysis was run between UGC ! PSR !

purchase intention To analyze the mediation, the

Boostraping procedure was run to test for indirect effects The data reveal significant direct effect between UGC ! PSR (b ¼ 0.78; p < 01; t ¼ 38.183;

t> 1.960) The indirect effect of UGC ! PSR ! pur-chase intention is also significant (b ¼ 0.58; p < 01;

t¼ 21.228; t > 1.960) Leading to support H6 to reflect

a partial mediation between UGC ! PSR ! purchase intention (see Figure 3andTable 3)

Discussion

This quantitative study analyzed how the passive use

of TikTok in Generation Z users gratifies hedonic needs and how utilitarian motives trigger active use through UGC as self-expression and social interaction Second, it examined whether UGC gratifies utilitarian needs and explains PSR through affective, cognitive, and behavioral factors Third, the study examined whether PSR is a mediating force to the purchase intention of Generation Z users Finally, the explana-tory power of each dimensional variable of UGC and PSR was analyzed This research offers novel results

on how these variables activate forms of behavior in SNSs As generational groups grow through market-ing, this research can be applied to understanding how the actions that trigger purchase intent have changed The results of the Generation Z study offer valuable insights into how psychological mechanisms trigger behavioral actions, making SNSs an essential part of Generation Z’s life, where individual self-expression and social interaction enable the establish-ment of interpersonal relationships (Singh and

Tik Tok

PSI =0.78; t=38.183 Purchase Intention

=1.000 Self-Expression

Social Interaction

Cognitive

Affective

Behavioral

=0.70;t=25.084 =0.38;t=39.156

=0.44

=0.54

=0.50

=0.45

=0.55

Figure 3 Research results with dimensional variable analyses

Table 3 Mediation results

Mediation UGC ! PSR! purchase intention Direct Effect Indirect Effect SD t 95% Confidence interval Results

0.780 0.588 0.028 21.228 0.582; 0.637 Partial mediation

Dangmei 2016) Once linked with media personalities,

PSR explains how behavior is triggered, which is

explained through purchase intent

The results support previous SNS studies in which

they establish that passive use triggers active use in

users (Verduyn et al 2020; Dienlin and Johannes

2020; Verduyn et al 2017) Active use is explained by

the need to satisfy needs for self-expression and social

interaction (Omar and Dequan 2020; Harrigan et al

2021) Self-expression and social interaction explain

UGC, which is motivated to establish visibility and

links with other users in SNSs (Bucknell-Bossen and

Kottasz 2020; Cho, Bonn, and Han 2018) This need

to create links with others was conducive to stronger

linkage with influencers and supporting differently in

how UGC directly affects PSR (de B
erail, Guillon, and

Bungener 2019) Previous studies establish that PSR is

a mediating variable to purchase intention (Zogaj,

Tscheulin, and Olk2021; Masuda, Han, and Lee 2022;

Kim and Kim 2021) However, the results reflected

partial mediation They concluded that PSR may

mediate purchase intentions but will have direct

effects through UGC In the end, the results of the

proposed research model reflected that the use of

TikTok significantly impacted UGC (t¼ 36.704)

Moreover, in turn, UGC reflected a partial

medi-ation (t¼ 21.228) toward purchase intention In

add-ition, the analysis performed on the research model

through the confirmatory composite analysis allowed

concluding that the study results are also confirmatory

This leads to the conclusion that the proposed research

model is robust, which brings scientific value to the

theoretical and practical implications to be discussed

Theoretical Implications

Social media marketing and members of Generation Z

reflect entirely different behavior than other generational

groups Generation Z stands out for giving greater

importance to reference groups to decide The results

reflect that what others say influences Generation Z

members’ purchase intentions Consistent with seminal

U&G work in SNSs (Sundar and Limperos 2013), the

study contributes by identifying that hedonic

gratifica-tion through passive TikTok use gratifies modality-based

gratifications Passive use of TikTok as entertainment

and relaxation activates a psychological pleasure where

users experience novel content, realism, sympathy, and

a sense of being present in a community Sundar and

Limperos (2013) detail that modality-based gratifications

appeal to different aspects of the human perceptual

sys-tem through exposure to content

Then, once the hedonic need is satisfied, the sense

of belonging to a community will activate utilitarian gratification, triggering UGC as self-expression and social interaction This is to explain UGC by agency-based gratifications Theoretically, Sundar and Limperos (2013) detail that this type of gratification explains how UGC occurs The UGC can alter the sender–receiver equation, supported by factors from perceptual psychology This result adds to the seminal work of Gibson (1986, 2015) from the SNS perspec-tive Through perceptual psychology factors, TikTok actuates that Generation Z uses the notion of afford-ance through more pleasurable visual stimulus TikTok, through UGC, suggests new ways to interact and act The gratification of these self-expression and social interaction needs will be satisfied by receiving

“likes,” comments, and so on These results expand differently from what was identified by Turner (2015) and Zuo and Wang (2019), where UGC, through the use of TikTok, becomes a distinctive way of satisfying one’s psychological needs for self-expression and social interaction This result implies a social and psy-chological change in this generational group Since the new ways of communicating added to the techno-logical dependence of this generational group, SNSs have become an essential part of developing interper-sonal relationships (Singh and Dangmei 2016; Cho, Bonn, and Han (2018)

The satisfaction of needs for self-expression and social interaction reflects that TikTok facilitates rapid bonding with influencers The theoretical postulate of PSR by Hartmann, Schramm, and Klimmt (2004) states that cognitive, affective, and behavioral proc-esses can occur separately, where the behavioral factor

is the rarest to identify The results reflect a significant new contribution to the PSR theory within the SNSs The data reflect that PSR through TikTok does not occur separately On the contrary, all three factors act

in a systematic process, which supports the new defin-ition of PSR proposed by Kim (2020) The systematic PSR process occurs when the user connects with the influencer to feel that they are similar and begins to bond, thus having a cognitive PSR response It trig-gered the factors of sympathy and contagion of emo-tions, where an affective PSR will be triggered Once the affective PSR is triggered, it will mobilize the user

to a behavioral PSR And it is through UGC that a user will imitate videos and challenges and review products Thus, PSRs in SNSs like TikTok have evolved by manifesting a unilateral and imaginary relationship, achieving the linkage more tangibly and reciprocally (Kim2020)