Swiping Control and Thematic Consistency in Short-Form Video Platforms: Implications for Perceived Agency and User Experience
Short-form video platforms have transformed digital viewing into an interactive, gesture-based experience, yet the psychological effects of their design remain unclear. This study examined the effects of interface control (manual swiping vs. automatic advancement) and thematic consistency (consistent vs. inconsistent content) on user experience. In a 2 × 2 between-subjects experiment, participants interacted with a short-form video feed and reported perceptions of agency, satisfaction, expectation congruency, and relevance. Results showed that manual swiping increased perceived agency, and this effect was strongest when videos followed a coherent thematic flow. Thematic consistency also increased expectation congruency, relevance, and satisfaction. These findings suggest that users’ experiences of agency depend not only on having the opportunity to act but also on whether system responses are experienced as coherent and predictable. This study highlights the importance of understanding how users experience the relationship between their actions and system responses during continuous interaction on short-form video platforms