Exploring the Impact of Conformity on Impulsive Buying: Implications for Counseling Practices

Given the increasing prevalence of impulsive buying behavior among football supporters, understanding the underlying social influences becomes crucial for effective intervention. This study examines the relationship between conformity and impulsive buying behavior among football supporters in Salatiga. Using a quantitative correlational design, data was collected from 106 participants via an online questionnaire distributed through social media. The findings reveal a significant positive relationship between conformity and impulsive buying, with 49.1% of participants exhibiting high conformity and 55.7% displaying high impulsive buying behavior. The effective contribution of conformity to impulsive buying was 82%, indicating that peer pressure and social dynamics significantly influence buying behavior. The study suggests that counselors should develop targeted interventions to help individuals manage conformity pressures, enhance self-awareness, and make more rational purchasing decisions. The research highlights the need for financial literacy education and supportive group counseling sessions to address the psychological and practical aspects of impulsive buying. However, the study's limitations include its focus on a specific demographic and potential biases in self-reported data, necessitating further research to generalize the findings.


INTRODUCTION
Football is the most popular and widely followed sport worldwide.While some fans merely watch games or matches, many others join supporter communities and become fanatic fans, purchasing various merchandise from their favorite clubs.The popularity of football is evident from the vast number of viewers during matches.For instance, more than 2 billion people watched the final match of the 1994 World Cup, where Brazil defeated Italy, making it the most-watched event in television history.This number far exceeds other sporting events, such as the NFL Super Bowl, which was watched by around 750 million people in 1993, the Wimbledon final with about 350 million viewers, and the first moon landing viewed by approximately 490 million people (Joseph, 1999, in Akbar et al., 2020).In the early modern era, football gained widespread attention as European football started to attract significant interest and was extensively broadcasted by television stations worldwide, particularly in Indonesia, leading to the emergence of fanatic fans of European football clubs.Football clubs can leverage business opportunities by selling merchandise, especially with the presence of football club supporters or communities that have the potential to become customers (Rizki and Utomo, 2017).Merchandise is sold through both online shops and general sales, including training kits, jerseys, shorts, hats, T-shirts, vests, and jackets.In the last five years, the popularity of football jerseys has increased in Indonesia.These jerseys are not only used for sports but have also become a fashion choice for going out.Some couples even take photos with their football jerseys, which have attractive and unique designs, and then upload them to social media.The role of football supporters, often referred to as the "Twelfth Player," is crucial in the football world.The Twelfth Player not only acts as cheerleaders in the stadium but also plays a significant role as a motivator for the team struggling on the field.The support and enthusiasm from the Twelfth Player are vital to enhancing the team's performance and providing motivation to the players on the field (Marajo, 2012).According to Suryanto (2008), football supporter groups are in a special situation during football matches, where they do not just watch the match but actively support their favorite team through chants and songs while using special attributes.Unlike mere spectators, they actively provide support.
Football club supporters often identify themselves using attributes related to their favorite club, such as T-shirts, scarves, flags, hats, and stickers (Bawono, 2010).These items become very popular and are highly sought after by football supporters.The need for someone to possess items that allow them to show their identity as a supporter of their favorite club can trigger the desire to spend money impulsively to fulfill that need.This type of purchasing behavior is known as impulsive buying.Solomon (2002) defines impulsive buying or unplanned purchase as a purchase made suddenly due to a strong desire to make the purchase immediately.Sumartono (in Putri, 2013) argues that the variety of products available in shopping centers can influence a person's attitude toward purchasing patterns.This can lead someone to buy not for the fulfillment of needs but more for wants.In other words, current needs fulfillment is more determined by wants than actual needs.Pricilia (2013) states that consumer shopping activities not only include planned purchases but also unplanned or spontaneous purchases, known as impulsive buying.Verplanken and Herabadi (2001) describe impulsive buying as purchases not based on rational considerations and often occurring spontaneously without prior planning.These purchases often cause inner conflict and are triggered by emotional impulses.Rossa and Ashfath (2022) note that impulsive buying involves consumers making purchase decisions without prior planning.Bastin et al. (2010) define impulsive buying behavior as unplanned purchases made with quick decisions, influenced by subjective factors that drive consumers to obtain items immediately.Impulsive buying can have negative impacts; when engaging in impulsive buying, a person tends not to consider the consequences of their actions and is more influenced by emotions than rational considerations or in-depth analysis (Zafar et al., 2021).
The phenomenon of impulsive buying is also observed among football supporters who purchase football club merchandise.According to interviews and observations conducted by researchers in Salatiga on April 15, 2023, with 10 football supporters, it was found that supporters made impulsive purchases of football club merchandise due to the influence of people around them.The items frequently purchased by football supporters include scarves, jerseys, hats, T-shirts, and stickers.The reason football supporters make these merchandise purchases is their strong desire to obtain the merchandise after seeing others buy it.Vishnu and Raheem (2013) categorize the factors influencing impulsive buying behavior into external and internal factors.External factors include store characteristics, in-store displays, shopping environment, and discount prices.Internal factors consist of mental attachment states and customers' normative assessments regarding increased purchase involvement.Cahyani (in Kainama, 2016) found that advertisements only influenced 17% of adolescent behavior, while social environment factors influenced the remaining 83%.These findings align with those of Zebua and Nurdjayadi (2001), which showed that 15.8% of adolescent purchasing behavior was influenced by the urge to conform to their surroundings.Shofwan (2010) stated that, according to Thai, one of the factors influencing impulsive buying behavior is social environmental influence.If someone is in a group with a high tendency for impulsive buying, they are likely to be influenced and engage in impulsive buying to conform to the group.This phenomenon is known as conformity.Conformity is a phenomenon where an individual feels pressured to follow the unwritten demands of their peer group, even if it significantly affects their behavior (Zebua and Nurdjayadi, 2001).Myers (1999) explained that conformity could occur when individuals feel pressure from their group and change their behavior to avoid criticism or isolation from the group.According to Mehrabian and Stefl (1995), conformity refers to individuals' tendency to identify with and imitate others' behavior, become part of a group to avoid conflict, and tend to follow rather than lead in establishing values, ideas, and behaviors.In the context of purchasing behavior, individuals are influenced by groups comprising various individuals who have direct or indirect impacts on their attitudes and behavior.These groups are usually led by a figure who influences their members in making purchases.
Research on the relationship between conformity and impulsive buying behavior has been conducted by several researchers.The study by Sahidin and Insan (2022) concluded that there is a significant positive relationship between conformity and impulsive buying.Another study by Anin et al. (2008) found a significant positive relationship between conformity and impulsive buying for fashion products among adolescents.Furthermore, Synder (in Anin et al., 2008) stated that conformity influences impulsive buying behavior.The research by Adri et al. (2021) indicated that conformity impacts impulsive buying by 73.1%, demonstrating that conformity significantly contributes to impulsive buying.It can be concluded that higher conformity levels among students correlate with higher impulsive buying behavior, and vice versa.Another study conducted by Ernayanti and Maherni (2017) showed that conformity has a positive relationship with impulsive buying.The higher the conformity, the higher the impulsive buying behavior among adolescents.Conversely, lower conformity levels result in lower impulsive buying behavior among adolescents.Research by Rusich (2000) on 18-year-old psychology students at Loyola University, New Orleans, found that group conformity did not influence individual purchase decisions.A study by Mahdalela (1998) on high school students at BOPKRI 1 Yogyakarta also found that interactions with peers at school did not significantly correlate with adolescent purchasing behavior.Based on the previous research findings, there is a positive relationship between conformity and impulsive buying behavior.However, some earlier studies showed no correlation, leading to ongoing debates.

METHOD Research Design
This study employed a quantitative research method with a correlational design to examine the relationship between conformity (Variable X) and impulsive buying (Variable Y).

Operational Definitions
Impulsive buying is defined as sudden, unplanned purchasing behavior influenced by strong feelings and emotions.The Impulsive Buying Tendency Scale (IBTS) developed by Verplanken and Herabadi (2001) was used to measure impulsive buying behavior.This scale includes two aspects: cognitive and affective.High scores indicate high levels of impulsive buying, while low scores indicate low levels.Conformity is defined as the tendency to follow and imitate others, and join groups to avoid conflict.It was measured using the Conformity Scale developed by Mehrabian and Stefl (1995), which includes three aspects: the desire to imitate the group, motivation to avoid conflict, and behavior as a group follower.High scores indicate high levels of conformity, while low scores indicate low levels.

Participants
The participants in this study were 106 football supporters from various clubs in Salatiga who had been members of a football supporter community for at least one year and had purchased merchandise at least five times.The sampling technique used was accidental sampling.

Research Instruments
Impulsive Buying Scale: This scale uses the Impulsive Buying Tendency Scale (IBTS) developed by Verplanken and Herabadi (2001) and translated by the researcher.It consists of two aspects: cognitive and affective.The reliability test of this scale showed a value of r = 0.806.The IBTS consists of 20 statements with a response scale that includes positive and negative aspects.There are four response options: "SS" (Strongly Agree), "S" (Agree), "TS" (Disagree), and "STS" (Strongly Disagree).Scores for positive statements are 4 for Strongly Agree, 3 for Agree, 2 for Disagree, and 1 for Strongly Disagree.(1995) and translated by the researcher, encompasses three dimensions: the desire to imitate others, the motivation to join groups to avoid conflict, and the tendency to become a group follower.The reliability test of this scale showed a value of r = 0.859.The Conformity Scale consists of 11 statements with a response scale covering positive and negative aspects.There are four response options: "SS" (Strongly Agree), "S" (Agree), "TS" (Disagree), and "STS" (Strongly Disagree).Scores for positive statements are 4 for Strongly Agree, 3 for Agree, 2 for Disagree, and 1 for Strongly Disagree.Validity: Validity was tested through content validity, involving expert judgment from research supervisors to assess content suitability and relevance.Item Analysis: Item analysis was performed using corrected item-total correlation, where items were deemed to have good discriminative power if the item-total correlation was r > 0.30 (Azwar, 2021).Using SPSS version 24 for Windows, item analysis results indicated that, for the IBTS, two items were deleted after two rounds, reducing the total from 20 to 18 items with good discriminative power.Similarly, for the Conformity Scale, two items were deleted after two rounds, reducing the total from 11 to 9 items with good discriminative power.Reliability Testing: Reliability was assessed using Cronbach's Alpha.A reliability coefficient closer to 1 indicates higher reliability (Azwar, 2018).SPSS version 24 for Windows showed reliability coefficients of 0.923 for the IBTS and 0.845 for the Conformity Scale, indicating that both scales met reliability criteria.

Data Analysis Methods
Descriptive analysis was used for categorization with descriptive statistics, while hypothesis testing employed the Spearman Rho correlation technique due to non-normal data distribution.The relationship between the variables was considered significant if the p-value was less than 0.05 (p < 0.05).Prior to the correlation test, assumption tests were conducted: 1) Normality test using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, where the data distribution is considered normal if the p-value is greater than 0.05 (p > 0.05), and 2) Linearity test using ANOVA, where a linear relationship between variables is considered significant if the p-value of the F-test is greater than 0.05 (p > 0.05).

RESULT AND DISCUSSION Research Orientation and Data Collection
This research was conducted from March 26 to April 23, 2024.Data was collected by distributing a Google Form questionnaire link through various social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, and WhatsApp.Due to the need to align with the schedules of the football supporter communities in Salatiga, achieving the target sample took considerable time.The researcher was assisted by these football supporter communities in disseminating the questionnaire link.

Participant Characteristics
Based on Table 3, the majority of participants (52.8%) were aged between 18 and 22 years.According to Table 4, the majority of participants (22.6%) were supporters of Persebaya.

Descriptive Statistics
Based on empirical data from Table 5, the mean of the conformity variable (X) was 26.14 (SD = 5.301), and the mean of the impulsive buying variable (Y) was 51.93 (SD = 11.129).The minimum score for the conformity variable was 15, and the maximum was 34, while for the impulsive buying variable, the minimum score was 28, and the maximum was 67.Table 6 shows that the majority (49.1%) of participants had a high level of conformity.Based on Table 7, the majority (55.7%) of participants had a high level of impulsive buying.

Assumption Tests Results
Based on Table 8, the conformity variable (X) had a KS-Z value of 0.144 with a significance value of 0.000 (p < 0.05), indicating that the data for the conformity variable were not normally distributed.Similarly, the impulsive buying variable (Y) had a KS-Z value of 0.162 with a significance value of 0.000 (p < 0.05), also indicating non-normal distribution.Based on Table 9, the F value was 595.380 with a significance value of 0.000 (p < 0.05), indicating a linear relationship between the conformity variable (X) and the impulsive buying variable (Y).

Hypothesis Test Results
Based on Table 10, the correlation coefficient (r) was 0.860 with a significance value of 0.000 (p < 0.05), indicating a significant positive relationship between conformity and impulsive buying.This means that higher levels of conformity are associated with higher levels of impulsive buying, and vice versa.The hypothesis in this study was accepted, with an effective contribution of the conformity variable to the impulsive buying variable at 82%.The findings of this study reveal a significant positive relationship between conformity and impulsive buying, meaning that higher conformity leads to higher impulsive buying and vice versa.ISSN: Print 2549-4511 -Online 2549-9092 http://ojs.unpatti.ac.id/index.php/bktThis result aligns with Ernayanti and Marheni (2017), who found that higher conformity correlates with higher impulsive buying among adolescents.Similarly, Lianto and Kurniawati (2023) found a positive relationship between conformity and impulsive buying in young adults, where individuals with high conformity levels are more likely to engage in impulsive buying to fit in with their group.Pratama (2018) also highlighted that conformity can influence impulsive buying behavior, especially when group members see certain items as identity markers or prerequisites for group acceptance.Group environments play a crucial role in shaping impulsive buying behavior due to peer pressure and unwritten social norms.Descriptive analysis in this study showed that football supporters' conformity was high at 49.1%.Supporters demonstrated a tendency to follow trends and avoid conflict, relying on their group to prevent disputes.They were easily influenced and prone to conform, as evidenced by their reluctance to stand out or contradict group norms.
Regarding impulsive buying behavior, 55.7% of football supporters were categorized as high.Both internal and external factors influenced their behavior.Internally, supporters exhibited impulsive buying tendencies, making spontaneous purchases without considering the utility of the items.Externally, they were influenced by factors such as merchandise attractiveness and the shopping environment.The effective contribution of the conformity variable to the impulsive buying variable was 82%, indicating that other factors such as store atmosphere, promotions, ecommerce, shopping lifestyle, demographic variables, mood, personality, and store influence account for the remaining 18%.This study contributes to the literature by providing a deeper understanding of the psychological factors influencing football supporters' impulsive buying behavior and suggesting effective marketing strategies for football merchandise.However, the study has limitations, including the inability to generalize findings to all football supporters in Salatiga and potential respondent bias in providing socially desirable answers.Additionally, participant behavior and psychological factors may change over time, reflecting only the conditions at the time of the study.

Implications for Counseling and Guidance
The findings of this study have important implications for counseling and applied guidance, particularly for addressing impulsive buying behaviors among young adults in football supporter communities.Understanding the strong correlation between conformity and impulsive buying highlights the need for counselors to focus on the social dynamics influencing these behaviors.Counselors can develop targeted interventions to help individuals recognize and manage the pressures of conformity within their peer groups.This could include strategies to build selfawareness, enhance self-esteem, and promote independent decision-making, reducing the tendency to engage in impulsive buying as a means of fitting in with the group.Moreover, counseling programs can incorporate financial literacy education, emphasizing the importance of planned purchasing and the potential negative consequences of impulsive buying.By addressing both the psychological and practical aspects of buying behavior, counselors can equip individuals with the tools to make more informed and rational purchasing decisions.Additionally, workshops and group counseling sessions can create supportive environments where individuals can discuss their experiences and challenges related to peer pressure and spending, fostering a sense of community and mutual support.Overall, the study's insights can guide the development of comprehensive counseling programs that not only address the symptoms of impulsive buying but also tackle the underlying social and psychological factors driving these behaviors.This holistic approach can lead to more sustainable behavior change and improved financial well-being among young adults in football supporter communities.

CONCLUSION
This study reveals a significant positive relationship between conformity and impulsive buying among football supporters in Salatiga, indicating that higher levels of conformity lead to higher levels of impulsive buying and vice versa.The descriptive analysis showed that 49.1% of supporters had high conformity, and 55.7% exhibited high impulsive buying behavior, influenced by both internal motivations and external factors like peer pressure and merchandise appeal.The effective contribution of conformity to impulsive buying was 82%, suggesting other factors such as store atmosphere and promotions play a smaller role.This study enhances the understanding of psychological influences on impulsive buying behavior and provides insights for effective marketing strategies.However, it is limited by the specificity of the sample to football supporters in Salatiga and potential biases in respondent reporting, highlighting the need for broader studies to generalize the findings.

Table 1 .
Blueprint of the Impulsive Buying Tendency Scale (IBTS) The Conformity Scale, based on the ideas introduced by Mehrabian and Stefl

Table 2 .
Blueprint of the Conformity Scale

Table 3 .
Participant Demographics by Age

Table 5 .
Descriptive Statistics of Conformity and Impulsive Buying Variables