Impulse Buying in the Age of Algorithms: A Systematic Literature Review of Psychological Triggers Leading to Buyer's Remorse

Abstract Algorithmic marketing has become a powerful tool in e-commerce, significantly impacting consumer behavior by leveraging psychological triggers that foster impulse buying, often resulting in buyer’s remorse. This systematic literature review examines how algorithms employ scarcity, urgency, social proof, and personalization cues to encourage impulse purchases and explores the ensuing cognitive dissonance and buyer's remorse experienced by consumers. Adhering to PRISMA guidelines, the review assessed studies from databases including Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO, IEEE Xplore, and Google Scholar published between 2000 and 2024. Of the 1,200 initial articles, 50 high-quality studies were selected, encompassing methodologies such as experiments, surveys, case studies, and meta-analyses. Findings reveal that algorithm-driven marketing significantly increases impulse purchases and post-purchase regret, highlighting ethical tensions between consumer persuasion and manipulation. Framed by Cognitive Dissonance Theory, Nudge Theory, and Dual-Process Theory, the discussion underscores the ethical responsibility of marketers and the need for regulatory oversight to safeguard consumer autonomy. The study calls for further longitudinal research on the psychological impact of algorithmic marketing and suggests actionable strategies for consumers, ethical guidelines for marketers, and robust regulatory frameworks for policymakers. Conclusions: The findings underscore the profound influence of algorithms on consumer behavior and highlight the urgent need for ethical standards and regulatory policies to address potential manipulative practices in algorithmic marketing. Future studies should focus on the long-term effects of such marketing strategies and explore interventions to mitigate buyer's remorse.