The role of perceived risk and buying styles in the effect of consumers' shyness levels on purchase postponement

The primary objective of this study is to examine the mediating role of perceived risk and the moderating role of purchasing styles in the relationship between consumer shyness and purchase postponement tendency. The research was conducted using data collected from 1,130 individuals aged 18 and above across Türkiye through an online survey, employing convenience sampling between January and March 2024. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 25 and AMOS 23. Based on frequency and factor analyses, each variable was structured into three dimensions: consumer shyness (shyness, distorted shame perception, consideration of others), perceived risk (physical-performance, social, and time risks), and purchase postponement tendency (investigative consumer, indecisive consumer, and economically driven postponement). Mediation and moderation analyses were carried out using Hayes' PROCESS Macro Models 4 and 1, respectively. Findings indicate that physical and performance risks significantly mediate the relationship across all dimensions of shyness and postponement behaviors. Social risk exhibited a positive mediating effect particularly in cases of indecisive and economically driven postponement, whereas time risk did not demonstrate a statistically significant mediating role in most instances. Furthermore, multi-categorical moderation analysis revealed that all three dimensions of consumer shyness moderated the effect on indecisive consumer behavior. Future research is recommended to test these variables across different product categories and cultural contexts to enhance theoretical generalizability.