Why Are Maximizers More Vulnerable to Fear of Missing Out? Exploring the Link Between Maximization and Fear of Missing Out Through Variety-Seeking

Abstract

There is a growing body of research on FoMO, yet the causal link between maximization and FoMO remains underexplored. This paper addresses this gap by investigating the mediating role of variety-seeking in the relationship between maximization and FoMO. Two studies were conducted, a survey ( n = 209) and an experiment ( n = 102), to provide converging evidence for the relationship between FoMO and maximization. Data analysis revealed that maximization leads to FoMO experience, and variety-seeking partially mediates this relationship. Our paper presents some promising avenues for further research by exploring the relationship between FoMO and the maximization tendency. This paper contributes to the literature by suggesting that when individuals try to make the best decision among alternatives—maximize, their variety-seeking tendency causes them to experience FoMO.

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