Facebook Users' Motivation for Clicking the “Like” Button

Abstract

To explore the motivation and behavior of Facebook users when clicking the “Like” button, we analyzed the behaviors of 743 university student Facebook users using motivational theory and the theory of reasoned action. The main study findings were as follows: (a) hedonic motivation, utilitarian motivation, compliance motivation, conformity motivation, and affiliation motivation all had a positive impact on attitudes toward “Like”-clicking behaviors; (b) subjective norms and attitudes toward “Like”-clicking behaviors all had a positive impact on behavioral intention, and (c) behavioral intention had a positive impact on actual behaviors. These findings provide a valuable basis for constructing an explanatory model for “Like”-clicking behaviors of Facebook community platform users, as well as making significant practical contributions to enhance social and commercial benefits for businesses and individuals.