From Dopamine to Decision: How TikTok’s Reward-Based Design Shapes Consumer Behaviour

Abstract

In a digital environment where seconds of attention influence consumption decisions, TikTok transforms dopaminergic stimuli into purchasing behaviour, making it essential to understand how platform design shapes modern consumers. This study examines the impact of dopamine-driven marketing strategies on TikTok and their effects on consumer behaviour. As short-form video platforms gain importance in digital marketing, TikTok stands out due to its algorithmic personalisation, continuous content flow, and reward-based interaction design, all of which are closely linked to dopaminergic mechanisms influencing attention, motivation, and decision-making. Using a systematic literature review based on the PRISMA methodology, this study analyses articles published in the SCOPUS database over the past year, identified through keywords such as marketing, dopamine, TikTok, and consumer behaviour. The findings highlight the growing relevance of neuromarketing and behavioural economics in explaining social media marketing effectiveness. In particular, TikTok’s design intensifies emotional engagement and reinforces impulsive consumption. This study contributes by synthesising recent research, identifying theoretical gaps, and outlining implications for academic research and digital marketing practice.