The impact of social comparison on customers'' negative psychology and impulsive shopping behavior in Vietnam: Research with the moderating variable of self-efficacy

The impact of social comparison on customers'''' negative psychology and impulsive shopping behavior in Vietnam: Research with the moderating variable of self-efficacy The impact of social comparison on customers'''' negative psychology and impulsive shopping behavior in Vietnam: Research with the moderating variable of self-efficacy The impact of social comparison on customers'''' negative psychology and impulsive shopping behavior in Vietnam: Research with the moderating variable of self-efficacy The impact of social comparison on customers'''' negative psychology and impulsive shopping behavior in Vietnam: Research with the moderating variable of self-efficacy The impact of social comparison on customers'''' negative psychology and impulsive shopping behavior in Vietnam: Research with the moderating variable of self-efficacy The impact of social comparison on customers'''' negative psychology and impulsive shopping behavior in Vietnam: Research with the moderating variable of self-efficacy The impact of social comparison on customers'''' negative psychology and impulsive shopping behavior in Vietnam: Research with the moderating variable of self-efficacy The impact of social comparison on customers'''' negative psychology and impulsive shopping behavior in Vietnam: Research with the moderating variable of self-efficacy The impact of social comparison on customers'''' negative psychology and impulsive shopping behavior in Vietnam: Research with the moderating variable of self-efficacy The impact of social comparison on customers'''' negative psychology and impulsive shopping behavior in Vietnam: Research with the moderating variable of self-efficacy The impact of social comparison on customers'''' negative psychology and impulsive shopping behavior in Vietnam: Research with the moderating variable of self-efficacy The impact of social comparison on customers'''' negative psychology and impulsive shopping behavior in Vietnam: Research with the moderating variable of self-efficacy The impact of social comparison on customers'''' negative psychology and impulsive shopping behavior in Vietnam: Research with the moderating variable of self-efficacy The impact of social comparison on customers'''' negative psychology and impulsive shopping behavior in Vietnam: Research with the moderating variable of self-efficacy The impact of social comparison on customers'''' negative psychology and impulsive shopping behavior in Vietnam: Research with the moderating variable of self-efficacy The impact of social comparison on customers'''' negative psychology and impulsive shopping behavior in Vietnam: Research with the moderating variable of self-efficacy The impact of social comparison on customers'''' negative psychology and impulsive shopping behavior in Vietnam: Research with the moderating variable of self-efficacy The impact of social comparison on customers'''' negative psychology and impulsive shopping behavior in Vietnam: Research with the moderating variable of self-efficacy The impact of social comparison on customers'''' negative psychology and impulsive shopping behavior in Vietnam: Research with the moderating variable of self-efficacy The impact of social comparison on customers'''' negative psychology and impulsive shopping behavior in Vietnam: Research with the moderating variable of self-efficacy The impact of social comparison on customers'''' negative psychology and impulsive shopping behavior in Vietnam: Research with the moderating variable of self-efficacy The impact of social comparison on customers'''' negative psychology and impulsive shopping behavior in Vietnam: Research with the moderating variable of self-efficacy The impact of social comparison on customers'''' negative psychology and impulsive shopping behavior in Vietnam: Research with the moderating variable of self-efficacy The impact of social comparison on customers'''' negative psychology and impulsive shopping behavior in Vietnam: Research with the moderating variable of self-efficacy The impact of social comparison on customers'''' negative psychology and impulsive shopping behavior in Vietnam: Research with the moderating variable of self-efficacy The impact of social comparison on customers'''' negative psychology and impulsive shopping behavior in Vietnam: Research with the moderating variable of self-efficacy The impact of social comparison on customers'''' negative psychology and impulsive shopping behavior in Vietnam: Research with the moderating variable of self-efficacy

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING STATE BANK OF VIETNAM

CITY BANKING UNIVERSITY HO CHI MINH

NGUYEN TUAN DAT

THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL COMPARISON ON CUSTOMERS'

NEGATIVE PSYCHOLOGY AND IMPULSE BUYING BEHAVIOR

IN VIETNAM : A STUDY WITH MODERATING VARIABLES OF

SELF-EFFICIENCY

SUMARY OF DOCTORAL THESIS

Major in business administration

Code: 9 34 01 01

SCIENCE INSTRUCTOR: Associate Professor Dr HOANG THI THANH HANG

Associate Professor Dr TRAN VAN DAT

City Ho Chi Minh – Year 2024

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO THE RESEARCH 1.1 Reason for choosing the topic

In recent years in Vietnam, with the strong development of 4.0 technology, the Internet and social networks, sales activities of individuals and businesses are integrated on these platforms That's why customers shopping on the Internet and technology-related platforms are becoming more and more popular and seem to be forming a new habit As of 2021, in Vietnam, the number of customers participating in online shopping on social networking platforms such as Facebook, Zalo, Instagram, Tiktok, is the highest in the region, with about 49.3 million customers (Ministry of Industry and Trade, 2022) In 2021, 74.8% of Internet users in Vietnam shop online and 91% of customers use mobile phones to order online, 48% of customers use personal computers to order (Ministry of Industry and Trade, 2022) The number of Internet users increased rapidly and accordingly, online shopping customers became more popular and more proficient with ordering skills In particular, during the Covid 19 period, online shopping increased even faster, because the Vietnamese market prioritized epidemic prevention and had to close direct businesses, so shopping via the Internet became a trend Targeting all ages from young to elderly or spreading to customers who previously had no or very little opportunity to access information technology and this form of purchasing, these circumstances have created habits for customers that last long after that This is considered a great opportunity for businesses doing business on online platforms when this new shopping method becomes popular and forms an important trend Through a survey on 4 e-commerce platforms in the top group in Vietnam by VECOM, in the period from June to September 2021, the number of orders arising increased sharply compared to the same period in 2020 at a rate Average growth from 8% - 50% Among them, there are items with orders increasing by 8% - 10% compared to the plan set from the beginning of 2021 (VECOM, 2021) At the same time, based on this trend, the report also predicts that in the period 2020 - 2025, the average annual growth rate will be 29% for online shopping in all aspects and by 2025, the commercial scale will increase by 29% Vietnam's e-commerce will reach an estimated value of 52 billion dollars

Along with the habit of buying goods and services online, impulsive shopping (impulse shopping) is growing strongly and becoming a trend among netizens today, especially young people Work at the office through the use of social networks in browsers and applications such as Facebook, Zalo, Instagram, Tiktok activated on smartphones or computers Impulsive shopping is considered a form of unplanned, sudden purchase that is often accompanied by cognitive and emotional reactions (Rook, 1987) Impulsive buyers tend to show a trade-off between enjoyment and practicality, and their shopping experience is mainly driven by high-arousal emotions such as excitement and excitement In today's

society, impulsive shopping is considered a very common phenomenon Verhagen and Dolen (2011) in their research showed that 40% of online shopping transactions are impulsive shopping A number of other studies in the UK, US, and China also show that impulsive shopping behavior is increasing, typically Merzer research (2014) shows that of 1000 US customers, 75% said they made purchases based on their needs based on impulsive decisions alone, customers in China also feel they have consumed hastily with the popularity and convenience of online shopping (Chen and Zhang, 2015) Recent studies by authors Carter (2018); Gulfraz et al (2022) similarly concluded about the growth and prevalence of impulsive buying behavior in countries on different continents At the same time, studies also show that impulsive shopping on online platforms brings huge benefits to marketers, retailers or business units in terms of increasing orders or profits sales profit (Dhandra, 2020; Utami, 2018) But in terms of individual customers, previous studies have documented the effects of impulsive shopping, its negative associations with life (Silvera et al 2008) and even financial disasters and credit debt from impulsive shopping (Forney and Park, 2009) With the popularity of this shopping trend, we need to understand the factors that influence this shopping action, which is distinguished into four dimensions including external stimuli, internal stimuli, situations shopping, product issues, demographic factors and socio-cultural factors (Muruganantham and Bhakat, 2013) External stimuli are understood as controlled marketing signals from suppliers to attract shoppers (Youn and Faber, 2000) Internal stimuli are factors related to individual personality, mainly including impulsivity (Bratko et al 2013), hedonism (Hausman, 2000), search variety, level of self-control (Youn and Faber, 2000) and emotions (Verplanken and Herabadi, 2001) Each individual customer possesses

a different personality trait and different preferences, which is called an impulsive shopping tendency When a customer's shopping behavior goes along with this personality, there will

be adverse reflections for yourself People who like to shop for fun are more likely to make impulsive purchases We all want to experience fun, and it can be fun to go shopping and imagine owning products we like

On the other hand, there are opinions that impulsive shoppers are more social, placing their self-image and sense of status rather than the necessary usefulness of that product for themselves , or in other words, impulsive shopping is a way to look better in the eyes of others or like a certain model that the shopper is aiming for and this is social comparison behavior From another perspective, impulsive buying behavior is established by not paying attention to the purpose of use or prioritizing their current financial situation, or in other words, it focuses on their interests like to shop on a whim (Floh and Madlberger, 2013) This shopping addiction makes us unable to resist temptations and buy something without considering the consequences and impulsive buying behavior can lead to anxiety and

unhappiness If this behavior is controlled, it can help shoppers improve their psychological satisfaction (Floh and Madlberger, 2013) In other words, this behavior comes from psychological needs to satisfy their social or aesthetic needs, also known as emotional motives (Indrawati et al., 2022; Kimiagari et al., 2022; Kimiagari et al Malafe, 2021; Zhao

et al., 2022; Zheng et al., 2019) Social comparison theory (social comparison) suggests that people tend to compare themselves with others to evaluate themselves (Festinger, 1954), to form this comparison, each individual must rely on information, images or characteristics of other people that we collect or observe on all media around life, the most popular today is based on social networks Especially in the context of increasingly digitalization and technology, social networking sites have fundamentally changed the way people interact with each other Among them, Facebook is considered the largest application with 2.5 billion monthly users (Clement, 2020); Instagram with 1 billion users per month (Clement, 2019) and Twitter with 330 million users per month (Clement, 2019) This statistical number of users worldwide spends an average of 2 hours a day using social networks (Clement, 2020),

in addition to the three major applications mentioned above, there are many other applications that are still regularly used applications such as Zalo, Wechat, Social networking platforms all have common characteristics that allow users to create personal profiles by posting information, images, videos, in addition, allowing users to connect online with other audiences and access and interact with information posted by other users (Ellison and Boyd, 2013)

Therefore, personal image information is now easily posted on social networks, whether that information is reliable or not, but it is the catalyst that makes other individuals arise Social comparison then self-comparison, envy, and self-esteem will appear, leading to impulsive shopping, and impulsive shoppers tend to experience more anxiety, have difficulty controlling their emotions, which may make it more difficult for them to resist emotional urges to spend money impulsively (Verplanken and Sato, 2011; Ahmad et al., 2019 ; Dhandra, 2020; Zheng et al., 2019) In other words, impulsive shoppers see it as a way to improve their mood and are less likely to consider the consequences of spending their money

on the fact that they just want the item Even now there are individuals who will use social media to show others their perfect life and this makes social media the "perfect" place to compare yourself on social media ( Taylor and Strutton, 2016) Recently, more and more researchers have found that social media use evokes jealousy and its negative effects on customers (Chou and Edge, 2012; Krasnova et al., 2015 ) In addition to the effects of social comparison, it increases customers' negative psychology or mood and leads to impulsive purchases to narrow the gap between themselves and others Then the studies Tandoc et al (2015); Li (2018) also pointed out that if these negative developments continue for a long

time, customers will experience prolonged depression, thoughts and anxiety, especially the feeling of being inferior to others If depression increases, it increases customers' impulsivity, they tend to want to buy to heal themselves, make themselves happier or more comfortable, but previous studies have not focused on this Focus on this impact On the other hand, when considering the overall impact of customers' psychology and negative mood on impulsive shopping behavior, it is only directly considered, most current research has not yet focused

on on the mediating role of depressive states between customers' negative psychology and mood and customers' impulsive shopping behavior

Originating from the realities of the increasingly rapid development of social networks in Vietnam with businesses using social networks to become a communication channel to advertise their products and make social comparisons of users is increasing, and in Vietnam most of the research focuses on planned shopping behavior, however the trend of online shopping is through accessing social networks and social comparison more and more, customers themselves will have impulsive buying behavior but do not really understand it, causing mental and material losses for them On the other hand, research still mainly focuses

on external environmental factors, incentives or material existence issues to create planned buying behavior, but has not focused on current comparisons customers' self and negative psychology leads to purchases to appease or express themselves Therefore, the author

decided to choose the topic " The impact of social comparison on customers' negative

psychology and impulsive shopping behavior in Vietnam: Research with the moderating variable of self-efficacy " with The goal is to clarify the effects of social comparison on

negative psychology and impulsive shopping behavior of customers in Vietnam, thereby providing management implications for businesses doing business on the platform Online activities that create social comparison to stimulate customers through emotional factors will promote more impulsive shopping behavior

1.2 Objectives of the study

1.2.1 Overall objectives

Identify and measure the impact of upward social comparison on factors belonging to the group of negative customer psychology and impulsive shopping behavior At the same time, research on the mediating role of depression and the regulation of self-efficacy From the research results, management implications are proposed for businesses to attract customers

to buy more in the future

on depression and impulsive shopping behavior of customers in Vietnam

Third, identify and measure the mediating role of depression between customers' negative psychology and customers' impulsive shopping behavior in Vietnam

Fourth, measure the moderating degree of self-efficacy on the impact of social comparison

on customers' self-esteem, envy and negative mood

Fifth, from the research results, management implications are proposed for businesses with sales activities on social network channels to attract customers to buy more in the future In addition, suggest management implications for customers to make purchases according to trends that bring the most benefit to themselves

1.4 Object and scope of the study

Research object : The impact of upward social comparison on factors belonging to the group

of negative psychology of customers and impulsive shopping behavior The moderation of self-efficacy on the effects of social comparison on consumers' self-esteem, envy, and negative mood

Research scope:

• Spatial scope : This research will be focused on major cities in Vietnam such as Hanoi,

Da Nang, Hue, Ho Chi Minh, Can Tho, Bien Hoa Dong Nai Because these are cities, a large number of people from other provinces reside, thus creating large online shopping markets throughout the country In addition, the technological development of these cities tends to

be updated more continuously than in other areas of Vietnam

• Time scope : Primary data collected from customer surveys conducted from October 2023

to February 2024

• Survey subjects : Customers using the Internet, social networks and shopping for goods

online Surveyed customers were aged 18 and over regardless of gender, education, job, or

income

1.5 Research Methods

To complete the research problems, the author uses two main methods: qualitative research and quantitative research In particular, the research methods are presented in general as follows:

1.5.1 Qualitative research methods

This qualitative research was conducted through synthesizing the underlying theoretical framework related to social comparison, negative psychology and customers' impulsive shopping behavior At the same time, review related research to identify research gaps and create a basis for proposing research models and hypotheses suitable for the Vietnamese context Through this synthesis, problems related to determining the theoretical relationships between factors in the research model will be resolved Then, qualitative research was conducted with preliminary research through in-depth interviews and group discussions with experts in the field of online business The purpose of this activity is to determine whether the research model and hypothesis are built in the appropriate Vietnamese context At the same time, conducting this discussion and interview helps the research collect information

to adjust, supplement and complete the measurement scale for the variables in the research model from the original inherited scales from previous works In other words, this complete scale is the basis for establishing a complete survey questionnaire sent to customers to collect primary data for processing and subsequent quantitative research

1.5.2 Quantitative research methods

Quantitative research is conducted after collecting sample data to ensure an appropriate research sample size These data are processed through SPSS 22.0 and AMOS 20.0 software

to produce experimental results In particular, quantitative research begins with checking whether the measurement scales and variables established in the research model are consistent with the overall population To determine this, testing will be used Cronbach's Alpha reliability After testing the reliability of the scale and variables, exploratory factor tests EFA, confirmatory factor CFA and linear structural regression SEM will be conducted

In particular, the EFA test aims to determine the convergence of observed variables on representative factors through the factor rotation matrix, and the CFA test aims to evaluate the appropriateness of the data and confirm that the scales ensure Ensure reliability by checking convergence or discriminant validity, and finally analyze the SEM linear structural model to conclude the proposed research hypotheses Finally, test the moderating ability of

a variable in the research model

The results of the quantitative research tests will help the author solve related issues to determine the extent of social comparison's impact on factors belonging to the negative

psychological group and how this psychological group impacts to depression as well as impulsive shopping behavior of customers At the same time, it is pointed out that if there is regulation of self-efficacy, the impact of social comparison on customers' self-esteem, envy and negative mood will be in an increasing or decreasing trend

1.6 Research contributions

Theoretically : If previous studies focused on factors outside the environment, incentives or

material existence issues to create planned buying behavior, then this study examines comparison, negative psychology, and customer depression lead to purchases to bridge the gap, appease, or express oneself At the same time, this study, in addition to determining the impact of social comparison on customers' negative psychology and mood, has also provided empirical evidence on whether this psychology and mood lasts long In the context of using social networks, it leads to depression and impulsive shopping behavior On the other hand, depression shows its mediating role between negative psychology and mood and impulsive shopping behavior of customers when shopping online in Vietnam At the same time, this study provides measurement scales for factors in the research model that are suitable for the context in Vietnam, which can serve as a basis for further research in the same field

Self-Practically : Empirical research results help business managers be more aware of the

phenomenon of social comparison and negative psychology of customers, in order to create smart strategic activities through social networks and e-commerce channels to stimulate customers to make more impulsive purchases and gain more profits At the same time, suggest implications for customers to make purchases according to trends that bring the most benefits to themselves The results of empirical research can be documents or a basis to expand further research directions for authors when learning about impulsive shopping behavior in Vietnam or around the world

CHAPTER 2: THEORETICAL BASE AND RESEARCH SITUATION

2.1 Research concepts

2.1.1 Social comparison

Festinger (1954) argued that we cannot accurately evaluate our own opinions and abilities, but instead rely on comparing ourselves with others as an evaluative reference Or this is considered a state of people evaluating their own opinions and abilities compared to others and viewing this action as an essential function to establish themselves Wood (1989) believes that social comparison is when an individual compares aspects of himself or herself with another individual in society In particular, for social comparison, individuals rely on the three most common motivations: self-evaluation, self-improvement and self-enhancement Self-evaluation in social comparison refers to individuals wanting to know whether they can complete a certain task, get a certain achievement or not? Buunk and Gibbons (2007) argue that social comparison is a perception that forms when people evaluate their own abilities and attitudes in relation to others, in an important process of determining their own abilities and attitudes in relation to others personal image or subjective emotional state

In short, social comparison is the tendency where people need to compare themselves with others to gain a better understanding of themselves and know exactly their abilities In particular, the objects being compared with oneself often have similar, higher or lower attributes and criteria On the other hand, social comparison will have many different functions such as when individuals have a need for affiliation (Schachter, 1959); decision making (Camerer and Lovallo, 1999); inspired (Lockwood and Kunda, 1997), emotional regulation and personal well-being (Taylor and Brown, 1988; Tesser and Campbell, 1982)

2.1.2 Envy

Envy is often defined as an unpleasant and painful mixture of characteristic feelings such as inferiority, hostility or resentment It is formed from comparing ourselves with a person or group of people who possess the things we desire (Smith and Kim, 2007) In which envy is considered a negative emotion and causes psychological harm to oneself, however, recent research suggests that envy is an emotion with two forms: First, envy Negativity creates the motivation to possess or want to make the people you are comparing to be like you Second, positive envy is a form of emotion that can make you feel frustrated but will end quickly, and tends to improve and perfect yourself to be like the people you are comparing to (Lange and Crusius, 2015)

2.1.3 Self-esteem

Self-esteem is defined as a negative or positive evaluation of oneself , that is, the degree to which an individual views himself or herself as having value and competence compared to

others (Coopersmith, 1967) ), self-esteem is the emotional component of a broader evaluation of self-concept (Heatherton and Wyland, 2003) Self-esteem is considered an individual's psychological trait, it includes the individual's subjective assessment of valuing himself more than others In other words, individuals with high self-esteem always identify the ideals and goals they aim for and become However, with the heavy use of social networks, information about other users makes individuals feel their appreciation for their abilities and personal ego is somewhat reduced

2.1.4 Negative mood

Lavelle and colleagues (2015) argue that negative mood has important implications for human health, physical and mental health Negative mood is considered a basic psychological state that can occur as a reaction to an event, object or phenomenon, and can float to the surface even without a clear cause Negative moods can often last for hours, days, weeks or longer and can manipulate the individual into thinking or behaving around their life In particular, negative moods can affect an individual's judgment with regard to other matters

2.1.5 Depression

Beck and Beamesderfer (1974) suggested that the characteristics of depression include pessimism, feelings of failure, dislike of self, social withdrawal, and preoccupation Coopersmith (1967) suggested that people with low self-esteem tend to experience feelings

of distress, self-blame, psychiatric symptoms, and feelings of depression Depression is considered a persistent low mood and anxiety This anxiety and fear comes from the individual feeling that he or she is inferior to others, that he or she is not as famous or as good as others, that he or she is self-confident, or that he or she is preoccupied with unnecessary things, and that thinking too much leads to moodiness not good In the context

of social networks, personal depression comes from many aspects, but most individuals always underestimate themselves, are impatient to be like others, feel inferior and feel inferior You have to be like other individuals to be happy

2.1.6 Impulsive buying behavior

Impulsive shopping is defined as a person's desire to buy something spontaneously, suddenly, and often with a comparison arising with an object to make a decision called emotion This shopping can easily lead to consequences (Rook, 1987) Impulsive buying behavior is often related to consumers' emotions (Eysenck et al 1985), which is a cognitive component in impulsive behavior (Hoch and Loewenstein, 1991; Rook and Fisher 1995) Impulsive buying behavior is the buying behavior of customers without prior planning This purchase is often made quickly when customers encounter a product or service, or focuses on satisfying immediate experiential or psychological needs In addition, this purchase often focuses on

the customer's emotional tendencies, so the need to remind the necessity and long-term benefits of the item they buy is easily overlooked, and then the customer easily falls into a situation I regret my purchase

2.1.7 Self-efficacy

Self-efficacy is defined as confidence, belief in one's own ability to act and achieve certain results, it is a core component of psychological capital (Luthans et al., 2007 ) On the other hand, self-efficacy is closely related to coping or solving problems when they encounter factors that cause stress (Patterson and Mccubbin, 1987; Lazarus and Folkman, 1984), thereby creates relative stability in the psychological structure and human tendency to become stable, persistent, and consistent Self-efficacy is considered an individual's own perception, which includes awareness of self-confidence and self-belief about all issues in life In other words, self-efficacy creates psychological or emotional stability for individuals when encountering difficult or uncertain situations, especially it helps individuals shape the good things of their lives It's more personal than comparing yourself with others and navigating to help individuals more clearly determine where their abilities are

2.2 Related theories

2.2.1 Social ranking theory

Social ranking theory mainly focuses on evaluating the abilities of young people, especially during the period when they are attracted and influenced by social status, self-brand image, Additionally, they value fame over other things in life and the changes that come with personal growth However, these same attractions and influences bring negative experiences

in thinking and easily cause personal vulnerability (Abela and Hankin, 2008) In summary,

in this study, social ranking theory is applied to explain an individual who is always very concerned about whether he is attractive or interested in the surrounding environment or objects From there, if they can satisfy that task, they will feel excited and happy, but usually this is really difficult as expected Therefore, they will fall into ranking themselves compared

to others in terms of appearance, ability, money, position, status, etc based on the information they know about others, this is considered is the basis for social comparison behavior In the context of using social networks a lot, individuals often rely on information from other individuals about the above characteristics to consider their rankings This ranking is not public but it exists in the public domain that individual's thoughts If they receive compliments or compliments they will rate themselves as attractive or attractive and vice versa

2.2.2 Maslow's theory of needs

Maslow's (1943) theory of needs, also known as the Hierarchy of Needs, is a model that classifies human needs according to each level of priority The hierarchy of needs shows the

basic human needs that need to be met in a certain order, from material needs to spiritual

needs In particular, Maslow (1943) divided into two types: high self-esteem ( Self-Esteem )

is self-esteem based on one's achievements and pride in what one has On the contrary, low

self-esteem ( Low Self-Esteem ) is based on the recognition of others Therefore, in this study,

when applying the upward social comparison trend, each individual will rely on what they have to compare with others in order to maintain high self-esteem, but often This high self-esteem is undermined by comparisons with those considered superior (Feinstein et al., 2013; Kalpidou et al., 2011; Kross et al., 2013)

2.2.3 Behavioral psychology theory

Behavioral psychology, also known as behaviorism, is understood as a theory related to all human behavior, which can be cultivated or learned or conditioned (conditioned), often These behaviors appear through interactions with objects in the living environment (Watson, 1994) At the same time, Freud (1994) also believes that human reactions to environmental stimuli will create behavior Therefore, behavior can be learned based on a system, combined with intuitive observations from the outside and does not go into depth to describe the human's internal psychology, or in other words, behavior of humans can be observed through the naked eye In short, behavioral psychology is a behavioral theory that describes that through practical experience with external stimuli, people will form corresponding behaviors Any subject regardless of demographic factors can still be trained in a certain way with the appropriate influencing conditions to produce the corresponding behavior (Watson, 1994)

2.2.4 Social cognitive theory

Bandura's (1997) social cognitive theory provides arguments based on individuals considering personal, social, and environmental factors to make a certain behavior or decision In particular, this theory emphasizes that individuals can learn and learn through others External factors are also one of the important factors affecting individual behavior Therefore, the triad of environment, behavior, and human cognition is formed (Luthans et al., 2007) At the same time, what people observe from the external environment affects perception and behavior Bandura (1997) believes that self-efficacy is derived from self-efficacy, which is seen as confidence in one's ability when faced with events or phenomena that one can handle, Or in other words, self-efficacy is the confidence that one can succeed

in handling specific situations

2.3 A review of research related to social comparison, negative psychology, and impulsive buying behavior

2.3.1 Summary of related studies

Related studies are summarized in the following table:

Table 2.1: Summary of related studies

at Vietnamese supermarkets

Quantitative research and OLS multivariate least squares regression

Primary data from survey of 241 customers

Shopping preferences, positive emotions, negative emotions, supermarket atmosphere, supermarket products, supermarket conditions, promotions, sales staff, references have positive effects (+) to impulsive buying behavior

Quantitative research and multivariate regression of linear structural SEM Primary data from survey of 560 customers

Convenience, time spent watching the program, attraction of the program and guests, promotional activities, company attributes, price and product all have a positive (+) impact on the impulse

to impulse buy copper

Urge and price impact in the same direction (+) on impulsive shopping decisions

Quantitative research and multivariate regression of linear structural SEM Primary data from survey of 327 customers

Products, stores, sales policies, packaging, store surroundings, advertising videos are positively correlated with emotions in the same direction and have a positive (+) impact with emotions in the same direction Products, stores and emotions have the same (+) impact on impulsive shopping behavior

Hsu and Doan

Yen Kim Mai

(2020)

behavior at supermarkets in Taiwan and Vietnam

Quantitative research and OLS multivariate least squares regression

Primary data from survey of 241 customers

Customer age, gender, feeling and mood, time available, money available, store location, store convenience, sales staff and sales promotion policies impact in the same direction (+) to impulsive shopping behavior

Author/year Research problem Research methods and

Nguyen Uyen

Thuong

(2020)

Factors affecting experimental

impulsive shopping behavior in the city

Hue

Quantitative research and OLS multivariate least squares regression

Primary data from survey of 209 customers

Scarcity, serendipity, and trust impact in the same direction (+) on impulsive shopping behavior Shopping stimulation and shopping preferences moderate (-) the impact of scarcity and serendipity on impulsive shopping

Tran Van Dat

(2022)

Using Facebook affects envy, depression and impulsive shopping behavior of students at universities in the city

Ho Chi Minh

Quantitative research and multivariate regression of linear structural SEM Primary data from a survey of

380 students

Using Facebook has the same (+) impact on envy and depression Envy affects depression in the same direction (+) Envy and depression have the same (+) impact on impulsive buying behavior

Tran Van Dat

(2022)

The impact of social comparison on self-esteem, envy and impulsive shopping behavior on social networks in Ho Chi Minh City Ho Chi Minh

Quantitative research and multivariate regression of linear structural SEM Primary data from survey of 380 customers

Upward social comparison has the same (+) impact on envy; negative (-) to self-esteem Envy has a positive impact (+) on impulsive buying behavior and self-esteem has a negative impact (-) on impulsive buying behavior

in the context of Covid

- 19

Quantitative research and multivariate regression of linear structural SEM Primary data from survey of 454 shoppers

Information overload about Covid

19, awareness of the pandemic, scarcity of goods and hoarding have a positive (+) impact on impulsive buying behavior Information overload and awareness about the pandemic have had a positive impact on customers' negative psychology

Crocker and

Knight (2005)

Self-worth of students

at the University of Michigan, USA

Quantitative study and trend graph between self-esteem and depressive states

Self-esteem will have a negative ) impact on depression

(-Author/year Research problem Research methods and

Sneak et al

(2009)

Coping with loss, emotions, impulsive and compulsive buying behavior

Quantitative research and multivariate regression of linear structural SEM Primary data from a survey of

427 Americans who were affected by Hurricane Katrina

Loss of control and loss will create stress, and at the same time, stress will have a positive (+) impact on depression Depression has a positive (+) impact on impulsive buying behavior

Vogel et al

(2014)

Social comparison, social media, and self-esteem

Quantitative research and multivariate regression of linear structural SEM Primary data from a survey of

145 students at a Western university, USA

Upward social comparison affects

in the same direction (+) with reduced self-esteem Downward social comparison has the opposite (-) effect on reduced self-esteem

Tandoc et al

(2015)

Facebook use, envy, and depression among American college students

Quantitative research and multivariate regression of linear structural SEM Primary data from a survey of

736 students

Upward social comparison has the same (+) impact on envy and negative mood

Envy and negative mood have the same (+) impact on depression

Bandyopadhy

ay (2017)

The relationship between self-esteem, impulsive buying, and normative influence

Quantitative research and multivariate regression of linear structural SEM Primary data from a survey of

250 customers in India

Self-esteem has a negative (-) impact on impulsive buying behavior Sensitivity impacts in the same direction (+) on impulsive buying behavior and acts as an intermediary

Li (2018)

The function of envy and self-efficacy in the relationship of social comparison and depression on social networks

Quantitative research and multivariate regression of linear structural SEM Primary data from a survey of

934 students at 4 high schools in China

Upward social comparison has the same (+) impact on envy and depression Envy affects depression in the same direction (+) and acts as an intermediary Regulatory self-efficacy reduces (-) the impact of upward social comparison on envy

Author/year Research problem Research methods and

Liu et al

(2019)

Impulsive shopping, upward social comparison, and the moderation of rumination on the relationship of social comparison and consumer negative mood

Quantitative research and multivariate regression of linear structural SEM Primary data from a survey of

430 undergraduate students at Chinese universities

Upward social comparison has the same (+) impact on negative mood and impulsive buying behavior Negative mood impacts in the same direction (+) on impulsive buying behavior and plays an intermediary role Customer rumination moderates (-) the impact of social comparison on negative mood

Quantitative research and multivariate regression of linear structural SEM Primary data from a survey of

302 online shopping customers in Indonesia

Pleasure and self-esteem impact in the same direction (+) on impulsive buying intention

Source: Compiled by author

2.3.2 Research gap

First, most of the studies in Vietnam by Luong Thai Ha and colleagues (2014); Ha Nam Khanh Giao and Nguyen Thi Hong Mo (2017); Phan Linh Duong and Mai Ngoc Khuong (2019); Hsu and Doan Yen Kim Mai (2020); Nguyen Uyen Thuong (2020) authors research

on factors affecting customers' impulsive shopping behavior based on two aspects: stimulation from the outside environment and customer mood However, these moods are mainly formed with excitement, spontaneity and feeling happy with the surrounding environment, so the decision to buy is made Therefore, in terms of negative mood influenced

by the formation of upward social comparisons, research has not yet focused on research Although, in two studies by Tran Van Dat (2022), the author mentioned two negative psychological aspects of customers: envy and decreased self-esteem, but did not mention mood customer negativity In other words, psychology is considered an individual's perception and way of thinking, but mood is considered a form of emotion formed in the short term or over a certain period of time accessed by the individual with some unknown event or event (Martin et al., 1998)

Second, typical world studies such as Crocker and Knight (2005); Tandoc et al (2015); Li (2018) and in Vietnam, research by Tran Van Dat (2022) studied the impact of customers'

negative psychology and mood leading to depression, due to thoughts and anxiety lengthen

At the same time, these studies have also been applied to the context of customers using social networks or online shopping However, only Sneak et al.'s (2009) study shows that depression has an impact on impulsive shopping behavior, but in the context of American people's fear and anxiety about the storm Katrina Therefore, this shows that there is evidence that depressive states have an impact on impulsive buying behavior, but with the context of social comparison forming negative psychological or mood aspects that lead to depressive states , thereby leading to customers wanting to make impulsive purchases to soothe themselves or improve their emotions, has not yet been researched So this is considered the second research gap identified

Third, because research has not yet focused much on depressive states and impulsive buying behavior, depressive states play an intermediary role between psychology and negative moods of customers when buying impulsively Copper has not been studied much in domestic and foreign research Therefore, this is the third research gap identified

2.4 Hypothesis and research model

2.4.1 Research hypothesis

2.4.1.1 The impact of social comparison on customers' psychology and negative mood

Jordan and colleagues (2020) argue that upward social comparison and envy appear a lot in today's social network environment However, in a commonly used social networking environment, envy is more common, because most social network users often post good and positive things about themselves despite Although there is no confirmation of such things, creating conditions for oneself will give rise to upward social comparison with others and engender jealousy Mehdizadeh (2010)

H1: upward social comparison affects envy in the same direction

Comparing yourself with others will increase or decrease your self-esteem, which can be a stable trait or a flexible state in different comparison situations (Kernis, 2002 ; Vogel et al., 2014) When individuals regularly use social networks but tend to make upward social comparisons, it means they will underestimate themselves and reduce self-esteem On the other hand, there are studies that have mentioned If you regularly use social networks and make upward social comparisons, you will feel unhappy as well as reduce your happiness and lack confidence in yourself (Feinstein et al., 2013; Kalpidou et al., 2011) Therefore, in this study the following hypothesis is proposed:

H2: upward social comparison has a negative impact on self-esteem

Considering the context in which individuals use social networks and have access to a lot of information from all sides, upward social comparison often leads us to negative moods, because when comparison occurs then we ourselves will access positive images and