UDC 338:159.923

Fomina S.N.¹ (Moscow, Russian Federation) – fomina-sn@mail.ru; Guo Haimei¹ (Moscow, Russian Federation) – guo.haimei@bk.ru

¹Plekhanov Russian University of Economics

Abstract. Current research increasingly focuses on examining the relationship between consumer behavior and well-being. Existing studies primarily explore the connection between consumption and happiness from philosophical and sociological perspectives. This study investigates the relationship between university students’ consumption behavior and their level of subjective well-being, providing empirical support for fostering rational consumption habits among students and enhancing their happiness levels. Participants：The study involved 311 Chinese university students (113 male, 198 female), selected through random sampling. The following instruments were used: тhe Impulsive Online Shopping Questionnaire (based on Stern’s model, 1962), comprising 19 questions and assessing 4 types of impulsive behavior: emotional, breakthrough, constructive, and blind purchases; emotional Response Scale (Mehrabian & Russell, 1974), measuring pleasure, arousal, and dominance; student Stress Scale (Li Hong & Mei Jinrong, 2002), evaluating academic difficulties, personal concerns, and negative life events. The study results showed statistically significant differences in levels of impulsive purchases depending on stress and emotional reactions. It was found that: рersonal concerns and academic stress positively predict emotional and blind impulsive purchases; тhe emotional reaction of joy fully mediates the effect of academic stress on constructive impulsive purchases; students with high stress levels more frequently engage in online shopping to regulate their emotional state. Through establishing psychological counseling systems, and reasonable communication, we can help students form proper consumer attitudes, promote the development of rational consumption habits, and create better conditions for subjective well-being. The scientific novelty lies in conducting original empirical research on the given topic.

Keywords: subjective well-being, consumer behavior, impulse buying, academic stress.

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For citation: Fomina S.N., Guo Haimei. Subjective well-being of Chinese students as a predictor of consumer behavior. CITISE, 2025, no. 2, pp. 514-522.