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A Latent Profile Analysis of TikTok Use Motives: Structure, Antecedents, and Consequences

Bin Ling,Qu Yao,Bowen Dong

Published 2025 in Journal of Pacific Rim Psychology

ABSTRACT

Prior social media research has identified various motives within the classic framework of uses and gratifications theory to determine why people use social media. To date, most studies have used a variable-centered approach to investigate TikTok use motives with a composite score and analyzed its linear relationships with other variables in a population, where subpopulations with a different configuration of motives remain unaddressed. This research conducted two studies (N = 680) and identified four TikTok use motive profiles: deep motivators, lone motivators, mood-elevating motivators, and slight motivators. Furthermore, the authors examine how antecedent (labile self-esteem) and distal outcomes (TikTok addiction and subjective well-being) differ across the profiles. The findings contribute to the TikTok use literature by identifying different profiles of TikTok use motives and exploring their different relationships with antecedents and outcomes. Some practical ways to manage users’ needs and improve their experience are also discussed.

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