Social Networks as Predictors in Purchasing Decisions, Mediated by Personal Factors in University Students

The objective of the research was to determine the role of social networks as predictors of purchasing decisions mediated by social factors. A non-experimental research design was used in the methodology, which involved a sample of 184 university students in southern Peru (n = 24; α = 0.940 ω = 0.940), an electronic questionnaire, reliability and validity tests, factor analysis, and the modelling of structural equations based on covariances. It is concluded that a direct and robust relationship exists between psychological factors and the purchase decision, meaning variations in psychological predispositions significantly influence it. Instagram shows an even more significant influence than Facebook on the purchase decision, and social factors do not mediate between the model’s predictor variables and purchase decisions.