Emotional Drivers of Consumer Decision-Making in Digital Environments

Abstract

The rapid expansion of digital commerce, mobile shopping, and algorithmic personalization has transformed how consumers process information and make decisions. While traditional decision-making models focus on cognitive reasoning, recent behavioural and neuroscientific research reveals that emotions significantly shape online consumer choices. This study systematically examines the emotional drivers influencing consumer decision-making in digital environments, including trust, fear, excitement, social validation, and anticipated regret. A conceptual framework—the Digital Emotion-Driven Decision Model (DEDDM)—is proposed to explain how emotional cues embedded in digital interfaces, persuasive design, and algorithmic content shape online behaviours. Implications for marketers, digital designers, and policymakers are discussed.