This study aims to integrate the self-determination theory (SDT) and social presence theory (SPT) to investigate how hedonic motivation, utilitarian motivation and social-oriented values influence consumers’ purchase intention on TikTok shop, a short-video social commerce platform. It further investigates the mediating roles of attitude toward social commerce platforms and trust in social commerce platforms.
A structured and self-administered survey was conducted with 692 Vietnamese consumers. Data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling, complemented by bootstrapped mediation tests.
Results reveal that while hedonic motivation significantly enhances attitude but does not directly increase trust, utilitarian motivation primarily strengthens trust rather than attitude. Social presence and social support demonstrate strong positive effects on both attitude and trust. Attitude and trust subsequently increase purchase intention. These findings reveal two distinct psychological routes in short-video social commerce: an affective route through attitude and a cognitive-assurance route through trust.
The findings suggest that TikTok shop sellers and platform managers should combine entertaining content, reliable product information, visible peer interaction and supportive community features to strengthen attitudes, trust and purchase intention.
This study contributes to social commerce research by showing how SDT-based motivations and SPT-based social oriented values shape purchase intention in short-video commerce. Rather than treating TikTok Shop merely as a new empirical setting, the study theorizes it as a hybrid commerce environment where entertainment, social interaction and transaction are integrated within one continuous platform experience.
