Author ORCID Identifier

0009-0000-7128-191X

Date of Award

Summer 7-30-2025

Document Type

Open Access Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

First Advisor

Wei Zhang

Second Advisor

Xin (Robert) Luo

Third Advisor

Lei (Nico) Zheng

Abstract

Unplanned usage of short video platforms has become a widespread behavioral pattern, especially among young users who often spend more time on these platforms than they intend to. This phenomenon cannot be fully explained by addiction or self-control failure. This study introduces the construct of Passive Flow, a non-volitional immersion state shaped by platform design. Passive Flow includes three experiential features: users engage without clear goals, gradually lose self-awareness, and experience time distortion. These states are not initiated by deliberate choice but are triggered by algorithmic and interface-level features. To examine this mechanism, the study adopts a two-phase design. The first phase involves interviews to define Passive Flow and identify the platform features that induce it. The second phase uses a large-scale survey and structural equation modeling to test the mediating path linking platform affordances, Passive Flow, and unplanned usage. This design provides a systematic explanation of how digital platforms influence user experience and behavior through structural design.

Comments

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