Frontiers in Business, Economics and Management ISSN: 2766-824X | Vol. 20, No. 3, 2025 40 Research on the Factors Influencing Purchase Decisions in Live-Streaming Rooms: Idol Connection, Interactive Experience, and Consumer Psychology Leeki Zhao Shanghai American School Pudong, Shanghai, 200000, China Abstract: This study takes the purchase of star cards in live-streaming rooms as the entry point. It explores the internal mechanisms of consumer purchasing decisions in the context of fan economy. By integrating three key dimensions—idol connection, interactive experience, and consumer psychology—the research reveals the uniqueness of star card consumption in live-streaming rooms and its driving factors. The study finds that consumer purchasing behavior is influenced by traditional economic factors and closely related to emotional connection and gamified experiences. The emotional projection generated by idol worship is the core driving force for consumption, while the interactivity and game design in the live-streaming room further enhance the willingness to purchase. The study also reveals that this consumption model exhibits distinct community characteristics and identity recognition functions. This research not only expands the application scenarios of fan economy theory but also provides a theoretical basis for the marketing strategies of live-streaming e-commerce, with significant practical value, especially in the areas of emotional marketing and gamified design. Keywords: Fan Economy; Star Cards; Consumer Psychology; Purchase Decision. 1. Introduction With the rapid development of live-streaming e-commerce, the fan economy has gradually become an important component of cultural consumption. K-pop star cards, as idol merchandise, are not only a way for fans to express support for their idols but also serve as an important indicator of idol popularity, becoming a medium for fans to express emotional support and identity. In live shopping, consumers engage in the purchase of star cards by watching live streams hosted by influencers, often accompanied by rich interaction and emotional transmission. This study focuses on the purchase of star cards in live-streaming rooms, aiming to explore the internal driving mechanisms of consumer purchase decisions, with a primary focus on three aspects: idol connection, live- streaming room interactive experience, and consumer intrinsic motivations. The research seeks to answer the following questions: What factors influence consumers' purchase decisions in live-streaming shopping? How do idol connection, interactive experience, and psychological motivation collectively influence the purchase decision of star cards? 2. Literature Review 2.1. Fan Economy and Idol Culture In recent years, the fan economy has received widespread attention as an emerging consumption model. Fan economy refers to the economic activities generated by the emotional connection between fans and idols. The emotions that fans invest in the idols they follow drive their consumption behavior. Fan economy is also a business model that generates economic benefits through word-of-mouth. "In addition to economic benefits, the value of fan economy lies in its ability to promote the diversity of cultural ecosystems, providing space for more ‘marginal’ and ‘niche’ cultural forms to survive and develop, making the cultural market more diverse to better meet the public’s cultural needs" (Yang Ling, 2015). This is commonly seen in the music performance industry, where fans purchase idol albums, endorsements, products, and merchandise. Fans are not only consumers but also form a powerful support network through social media and offline activities. Idol culture plays an important role in this process, where fans reinforce their emotional connection with idols by purchasing idol-related products and seeking identity recognition and a sense of community belonging. 2.2. The Rise and Development of Live- Streaming, Consumer Psychology, and Purchasing Behavior With the potential of live-streaming technology, shopping in live-streaming rooms has become a popular consumption model, significantly influenced by the fan economy. Live- streaming e-commerce attracts a large user base with its real- time, interactive, and entertaining features. "The multi- channel real-time dynamic interaction between e-commerce hosts and consumers is more likely to evoke consumers' desire to participate" (Han Xiao Yi & Xu Zheng Liang, 2020). The instant interaction between the host and the audience not only enhances the sense of user participation but also influences purchasing decisions through methods such as fan Q&A sessions and lottery events. Live-streaming interaction not only enhances user participation but also strengthens purchase intentions through emotional resonance between the host and fans. 2.3. Research on Star Card Economy As K-pop idol merchandise, star cards are unique in that the product itself is closely linked to the idol, with distinct collectability and emotional value. "The re-symbolization of merchandise is of great significance for cultural expression, weaving meaningful networks, engaging self-identity, and producing compensatory cultures" (Huang Hua & Wu Yue, 2023). The randomness, uncertainty, and entertainment 41 inherent in the card-unboxing experience allow consumers to experience both the joy of collecting and the thrill of gamification during the purchasing process. "Gamification can evoke internal motivations by satisfying the intrinsic needs of consumer players, motivating them to actively engage in marketing activities" (Ning Changhui & Xi Nannan, 2017). This uniqueness means that the purchase decisions for star cards are influenced not only by traditional consumer factors but also by idol connection and emotional interaction. Existing research primarily focuses on traditional e- commerce platforms and offline idol merchandise consumption. However, there is still a gap in research on the emerging form of star card sales in live-streaming rooms, especially regarding the consumer psychology mechanisms of the younger generation in this context. Therefore, this study focuses on the live-streaming star card consumption scenario and explores the factors influencing consumer purchase decisions and the psychological influence mechanisms in live-streaming shopping environments. 3. Research Methods This study primarily employs a mixed-methods approach, combining both quantitative and qualitative research methods, and incorporates both primary and secondary data in order to provide a more comprehensive analysis of consumer purchasing psychology. In this study, data from 87 star card consumers were collected through a questionnaire survey, which included questions related to purchase frequency, spending amount, interactivity in live-streaming rooms, and overall experience. Additionally, an interview was conducted with a senior consumer of star cards, and the psychological factors behind their star card purchases, as well as differences between various purchasing channels, were investigated. A total of 87 valid questionnaires were collected. The gender distribution is quite evident, as shown in Figure 1, with females accounting for 78.16% and males for 21.84%, indicating that the primary audience of the star card market is female. In terms of age distribution, consumers aged 19-25 make up 31.03%, while those aged 15-18 represent 21.84%, suggesting that students and young individuals are the main target groups. Moreover, 55.17% of the surveyed consumers have a monthly income or living allowance of less than 5,000 yuan, indicating that the purchasing power of the consumers is relatively limited. Figure 1. Gender Distribution of Consumers 4. Data Analysis 4.1. Consumer Purchase Behavior in Live- Streaming Rooms Among all the consumers who completed the questionnaire, 41.38% have purchased star cards in live-streaming rooms, totaling 36 individuals (Figure 2). The data shows that 70.11% of respondents selected "Other" as their purchase frequency, indicating that most consumers do not have a fixed purchasing pattern. As shown in Figure 3, among those who indicated their purchasing frequency, 14.94% buy once a week, suggesting a relatively high purchase frequency. In terms of single purchase amounts, 55.17% of consumers choose the 10-50 yuan range, aligning with the purchasing power of young students. Additionally, 19.54% of consumers spend between 101-500 yuan, and even 4.6% spend over 3,000 yuan, indicating a significant disparity in the star card market. Furthermore, Douyin (TikTok) and Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) are the two main platforms used by most consumers for their purchases. Figure 2. Survey on Whether Respondents Have Purchased Star cards in Live-Streaming Rooms Figure 3. Purchase Frequency and Single Purchase Number of Consumers in Live-Streaming Rooms 42 4.2. Purchase Motivation and Influencing Factors In further investigating the behavior of consumers who have purchased star cards in live-streaming rooms, this study found that consumers' purchase decisions are driven by multiple factors. Among these, "supporting the idol" is the primary motivation for consumers, accounting for 58.33%. Other main reasons for purchasing include the fun of the card unboxing experience (30.56%), the scarcity of cards (25%), and the uncertainty of the unboxing process (25%). This indicates that both the emotional drive from idol connection and the experience of the gameplay contribute to enhancing consumers' willingness and behavior to purchase. 4.3. Interactive Experience and Emotional Connection In terms of interactive experience, purchasing star cards in live-streaming rooms involves various forms of interaction. Among them, participating in comments or bullet screens is the most common interaction form, accounting for 63.89%, followed by participating in lotteries or voting, which accounts for 41.67% (as shown in Figure 4). Figure 4. Survey on Interactive Forms Participated by Consumers in Live-Streaming Rooms Additionally, the emotional connection with idols plays an important role in purchase decisions. As shown in Figure 5, according to the survey data, the majority (66.67%) of consumers indicated that emotional connection has a "significant" or "very significant" impact on their willingness to consume and purchasing behavior. Correlation analysis also confirmed that factors such as supporting the idol and the influence of the idol have a positive effect on emotional connection and purchasing behavior. This indicates that the emotional connection with idols has a significant driving effect on certain consumers. Figure 5. Survey on the Impact of Emotional Connection on Consumer Purchase Behavior 5. Conclusion In conclusion, this study investigates the multiple influencing factors of purchase decisions for star cards in livestreaming rooms. The findings show that idol connection, interactive experience, and consumer psychological motivations work together to drive purchasing behavior. The data indicates that idol-related factors have a significant impact on consumer behavior. Additionally, the entertainment value of the card unboxing experience also plays a role in influencing purchasing decisions. Considering the limited sample size in this study, it is recommended that future research increase the sample size and expand the research scope to enhance the credibility and generalizability of the findings. References [1] Huang Hua, wuyue. As an intermediary platform: the movement of K-Pop "periphery" and the reconstruction of fan circle order [J]. News and Writing, 2023, (09):23-35. [2] Han Xiao-yi&Xu Zhengliang. (2020). The influence of e- commerce anchor attributes on consumers' online purchase intention —— A study based on grounded theory and method. Foreign Economy and Management, 42 (10), 62-75. DOI: 10.16538/j.cnki.fem.20080.3000820826 [3] Ning Changhui, Xi Nannan. Overview and prospect of foreign gamification marketing research [J]. Foreign Economy and Management, 2017, 39 (10): 72-85. DOI: 10.16538/j.cnki.fem.2017.10.005. [4] Yang Ling. 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