Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The study aims to explore how sensation seeking relates to college students sports lottery purchasing behavior, mediated by fear of missing out and moderated by perceived risk. METHODS: A study surveyed 409 college students using various scales to assess sensation seeking, sports lottery purchasing behavior, fear of missing out, and perceived risk. Data analysis included descriptive stats, t-tests, partial correlations, mediation and moderation effects, and Bootstrap testing to understand the psychological drivers behind sports lottery purchases among students. RESULTS: (1) Sensation seeking significantly and positively predicted college students sports lottery purchasing behavior; (2) Fear of missing out played a partial mediating effect in the influence of sensation seeking on college students sports lottery purchasing behavior; (3) Perceived risk had a moderating effect in the second half of the path of the mediating effect of fear of missing out. CONCLUSION: The study concludes that sensation seeking directly affects college students sports lottery purchasing behavior, mediated by fear of missing out. The mediating effect is moderated by perceived risk, highlighting the complexity of psychological factors in risk-taking behaviors. This insight calls for tailored interventions addressing these multifaceted factors.