Decision Fatigue in Infinite-Scroll Shopping: Evidence from Meta’s Report of 42% Abandonment Rates

Abstract This study investigates the phenomenon of decision fatigue triggered by infinite-scroll shopping interfaces and its effect on purchase abandonment rates. With Meta reporting that 42% of users abandon online purchases due to cognitive overload, this research aims to empirically test the relationship between choice overload, time pressure, cognitive strain, and abandonment intention, with decision fatigue as a mediating factor. A sample of 100 online shoppers was surveyed using structured questionnaires, and the data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Findings show that decision fatigue significantly mediates the relationship between infinite-scroll exposure and abandonment intention. These results highlight the importance of designing e-commerce interfaces that reduce cognitive burden and enhance user experience. The study contributes to the literature on consumer psychology and digital commerce by offering both theoretical insights and practical implications for reducing abandonment rates. Keywords: decision fatigue, infinite-scroll shopping, consumer behavior, abandonment rate, cognitive load theory, e-commerce design, attention economy