A Neurological Study of Compulsive Buying Behaviour

The following article describes a study of the neural correlates of compulsive buying. Twenty-six non-compulsive (“normal”) and 23 compulsive buyers were measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging while performing purchasing decisions. The compulsive buyers were selected based on strict criteria, such that they were all undergoing psychotherapeutic treatment due to their buying behaviour. The results show evidence of significant differences between non-compulsive and compulsive buyers regarding brain activity in regions known to be involved in decision making. The findings give a deeper insight into the nature of compulsive buying and are relevant to consumer policy.     

Buying behavior,social support and credit card indebtedness of college students

This research examines three factors that are associated with college students' credit card indebtedness. Using survey data, we find that college students' buying patterns and social networks affect their credit card indebtedness. Specifically, students with a tendency towards compulsive buying are more likely and those with greater social support are less likely to hold credit card debts. Depth interview data further illustrate the contexts and causes of overusing credit cards as well as solutions for their debt problem. This research sheds light on reasons why college students fall into credit card debt and suggests strategies for helping them use credit cards wisely.     

The Big Five dyad congruence and compulsive buying: A case of service encounters

This research examines how the Big Five personality congruence between buyers and sellers influences compulsive buying in a dyadic service encounter. We gathered 904 buyer-seller data and computed personality congruence using the difference score technique. The study findings manifested that buyer-seller congruence in agreeableness and openness increases compulsive buying behavior, whereas buyer-seller congruence in neuroticism decreases this behavior. Further analysis showed that pleasure enhancement dampens the negative impact of neurotic congruence on compulsive buying. In contrast, stimulation enhancement strengthens the positive influence of open-minded congruence on compulsive buying. Conclusively, compulsive buyers exhibit varying buying behaviors based on their personality congruence (incongruence) with their corresponding sellers'. Hence, marketing managers should create similar (dissimilar) buyer-seller pairs to boost firms' sales.     

Who pays your debt? An important question for understanding compulsive buying among American college students

Compulsive buying, defined as the inability to control purchasing behaviour, is higher among college‐aged students than it is among the general public. The present study examined the factors related to compulsive buying among college students and how those factors differ as a function of who paid the majority of their debt: themselves or their parents. A total of 628 undergraduates from the US completed a questionnaire containing items to measure compulsive buying, personality and financial responsibility. Results revealed that variables predictive of compulsive buying varied depending on the amount of credit card debt that the student was personally responsible for paying. Findings have implications for reducing compulsive buying in college students.     

Credit Card Use and Compulsive Buying Behavior

ABSTRACT

Compulsive buying behavior is a negative form of behavior that leads to overspending. In the current study, the author examines the applicability of a compulsive buying behavior scale developed by Valence et al. (1988) with Indian consumers. Compulsive buyers are likely to relate money to power, success, and status. Compulsive buyers perceive their purchases as a way of overcoming negative self-esteem and anxiety. The influence of consumers’ attitude toward credit cards, demographic factors, and credit card use on compulsive buying was studied. The findings suggest the compulsive behavior scale should be modified in the Indian context. Age, income, education, and marital status influence compulsive buying. Consumers’ attitude toward credit cards did not affect compulsive buying.     

The Relationship Between Consumers’ Tendencies to Buy Compulsively and Their Motivations to Shop and Buy on the Internet

This paper presents the results of a survey of customers of an Internet clothing retailer examining how consumers’ preferences to shop and buy on the Internet rather than at bricks-and-mortar stores differ depending on their compulsive buying tendencies. Using shopping motivations such as seeking product and information variety, the ability to buy unobserved, avoiding social interactions, and experiencing positive feelings during shopping and buying, we find a positive linear relationship between a tendency to buy compulsively and Internet shopping and buying motivations. The research demonstrates that the items used to measure these motivations can also be used to identify buyers who have a tendency to buy compulsively. The paper also offers important retailing, managerial and public policy implications of the findings.     

The impact of money attitudes and global life satisfaction on the maladaptive pursuit of consumption

The goal of this research was to examine how money attitudes and global life satisfaction relate to and predict compulsive buying among young adults. Using a Prolific Academic sample, 265 adults between the ages 18 and 25 completed the Money Attitudes Scale, Money Ethics Scale, Spendthrift‐Tightwad Scale, Satisfaction with Life Scale, and the Richmond Compulsive‐Buying Scale. As expected, motives toward saving and spending money as assessed by the Money Attitude Scale and pain of paying as assessed by the Spendthrift‐Tightwad Scale were correlated and predicted compulsive buying. However, these findings are qualified by an interaction effect such that those who held negative attitudes toward saving money and experienced little pain of paying were compulsive buyers. Theoretical and practical implications for maladaptive purchasing behavior among young adults are discussed.     

Money Attitudes,Credit Card Use,and Compulsive Buying among American College Students

The consumer culture has evolved into one of the most powerful forces shaping individuals and societies (Roberts and Sepulveda 1999 a, b). The desire to become a member of the consumer culture appears to be universal (Droge and Mackoy 1995). Changing attitudes toward money are an important catalyst behind the spread of the consumer culture. Money is important—especially to American college students who have been raised in a credit card society where debt is used freely (Ritzer 1995). Schor (1998) believes that access to easy credit is one of the causes of overspending. Using a causal modeling approach, the present study investigated the role money attitudes and credit card use play in compulsive buying within a sample of American college students (see Figure 1). Findings suggest that the money attitudes powerprestige, distrust, and anxiety (Yamauchi and Templer 1982) are closely related to compulsive buying and that credit card use often moderates these relationships. Study results have important public policy, marketing, and research implications.     

The role of time preference and credit card usage in compulsive buying behaviour

College students represent a lucrative market for businesses selling a wide array of goods and services, including credit. One area of concern regarding credit debt is its association with compulsive buying behaviour. This study analysed compulsive buying behaviour within an economic framework using a college student sample. Data were collected from 7342 students enrolled in a major Midwestern university. Regression analysis revealed that income, rate of time preference, money attitudes, credit card usage and gender were significantly related to compulsive buying. This study provides useful information for developing, or revising, university policies regarding financial education and counselling, as well as curriculum considerations.     

“My Fifty Shoes Are All Different!” Exploring,Defining, and Characterizing Acquisitive Buying

Why does someone buy the tenth pair of black shoes or the fourteenth white t‐shirt? Typically, extreme buying is associated with negative feelings and consequences: issues of self‐control, guilt, and financial problems are common among compulsive, impulsive, excessive buying, fixated buying, and hoarding. However, through two studies, the authors describe “acquisitive buyers,” who exhibit an extreme yet controlled acquisition process for items in a chosen product category. In his/her mind, these items are minutely differentiated and enrich the inventory, and there is logical justification that every purchase enhances his/her preparedness for anticipated specific product use occasions. Materialism, positive perfectionism and variety‐seeking in a particular product category are some of the characteristics of these buyers. The studies also help distinguish acquisitive buying from other types of extreme buying and mainstream buying.     

Consumers’ personality and compulsive buying behavior: The role of hedonistic shopping experiences and gender in mediating-moderating relationships

Although existing research suggests that personality plays an important role in explaining compulsive buying behavior, there is still potential space to diagnose the theoretical mediational mechanisms underlying these effects or the extent to which these relationships vary across different consumer demographic groups. Indeed, the role of specific personality traits on hedonistic shopping experiences and compulsive buying still awaits an in-depth examination and clarification. Thus, the present research contributes to existing knowledge by: (1) examining hedonistic shopping experiences (HSE) as a mediating mechanism on compulsive buying (CB); and (2) investigating the role of gender as a moderating variable. Using a sample of 363 adults and data derived from the US market, we confirmed the role of hedonistic shopping experiences, a central trait, in mediating the effects of cardinal traits (i.e., neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, conscientiousness and agreeableness), on compulsive buying, a surface trait. Specifically, neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience exerted a more indirect and positive influence on compulsive buying, while conscientiousness and agreeableness showed a stronger direct and negative relationship with hedonistic shopping experiences and compulsive buying. In addition, neuroticism, extraversion, and openness to experience were a stronger driver of compulsive buying for women than for men, while conscientiousness and agreeableness jointly decreased the importance of hedonistic shopping experiences, and more strongly inhibited compulsive buying for women than for men. The research findings offer important theoretical, public policy and marketing implications.     

Contingent Self‐Esteem,Self‐Presentational Concerns,and Compulsive Buying

The present study investigates the influence of contingent self‐esteem (CSE) on compulsive buying tendencies. It is argued that this influence is mediated by the self‐presentational concerns of fear of negative evaluation (FNE) and the importance of social identity (SI). These core propositions are tested using a multimethod approach that includes a survey of 402 US adults and two experiments with 160 and 243 subjects, respectively. Survey results find that CSE's impact on compulsive buying is fully mediated by FNE and SI. The two experiments deepen understanding of this effect. Only under high levels of anxiety do those high in CSE exhibit compulsive buying. High CSE leads to higher FNE and SI regardless of anxiety levels, but only at high anxiety levels do FNE and SI lead to compulsive buying. The study's results increase understanding of the role and process by which CSE impacts compulsive buying in adults of all ages.     

Friends with benefits: Behavioral and fMRI studies on the effect of friendship reminders on self-control for compulsive and non-compulsive buyers

Does the real or imagined presence of friends invariantly drive consumers to engage in disinhibited behavior, and give in to the “urge to splurge” in the face of consumption temptations? Or might there be situations in which being with friends or even merely thinking of friends or the friendships we have with them can actually improve self-control?In five studies, using a unique combination of controlled experiments examining overt consumer behavior and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we propose and show that the extent to which consumers identify a goal conflict between giving in to buying temptations on the one hand and the perceived consequences for maintaining satisfactory relationships with close friends on the other is a critical mediator of whether friendship reminders decrease or increase self-control. We further show that such a goal conflict is most likely for consumers with a chronic, compulsive tendency for uncontrolled, disinhibited acquisition and consumption—for consumers classified as compulsive buyers. For their non-compulsive counterparts, in contrast, acts of acquisition and consumption, even incidental disinhibited ones, are perceived to be less problematic in light of their friendships and hence do not induce a goal conflict to the same extent. Our findings provide insights into social influences on self-control and identify the concept of friendship reminders as a way to reduce a common type of dysfunctional consumer behavior. In addition to enhancing consumer well-being, reducing compulsive buying will substantially reduce handling costs for organizations. Hence, the findings are of academic, societal and managerial relevance.     

Diagnostic Screener for Compulsive Buying: Applications to the USA and South Korea

Compulsive behavior is an important topic for social scientists. One form of this behavior is compulsive buying. Using data sets from two countries, the USA and South Korea, the Diagnostic Screener for Compulsive Buying (DSCB) (Faber and O'Guinn 1992) is tested with specific emphasis on the scale's cross‐cultural transferability. We find evidence that the DSCB is unidimensional in the USA and bi‐dimensional in South Korea, suggesting a lack of transferability. Potential cultural reasons for the findings are discussed in detail as well as the implications for public policy and future research.     

Product Procurement: A Comparison of Taiwanese and US Retail Companies

The buying function of Taiwanese and US retailers differs in several areas. The consingment method of selling is very prevalent in Taiwan but rarely used in the US. Taiwanense retail buyers were found to have less buying and retail experience than their US counterparts. However, neither buying nor retail experience were found to be significantly retaled to taiwanese buyers' attitudes about product procurement. Significant differences were identified between Taiwanese and US retail buyers' attitudes about country of origin and perceived value of imported merchandise. Taiwanese buyers were found to be more likely to rely on country of origin as an information cue than their US counterparts. On the other hand, as compared to Taiwanese buyers, US buyers were found more likely to percieve foreign apparel as having value than domestically manufactured products.     

The Role of Price in the Behavior and Purchase Decisions of Compulsive Buyers

The present research examines the relationship between consumers’ tendencies to buy compulsively and their response to price based on a survey of customers of an Internet clothing retailer. The research findings suggest that compulsive buyers possess greater knowledge of store prices and are more brand conscious and prestige sensitive in comparison with non-compulsive buyers. Moreover, compulsive buyers derive greater transaction value from price promotions and are more price conscious and sale prone than non-compulsive buyers.     

Compulsive consumption behaviours: investigating relationships among binge eating,compulsive clothing buying and fashion orientation

Compulsive buying and binge eating are examples of compulsive consumption behaviours, and for individuals with these behavioural tendencies, appearance and appearance‐related products seem to be of paramount importance. The purpose of this research was to determine if bulimic behaviours, fashion interest and the importance of being well dressed had a causal relationship with compulsive clothing buying. Subjects completed a compulsive clothing buying scale, the binging/control subscale of the Bulimia Test‐Revised and a fashion orientation scale. A path analysis indicated that binging behaviours and fashion interest significantly predicted compulsive clothing buying, while binging behaviours were not significantly related to fashion interest or the importance of being well dressed. Such findings may suggest that female consumers compulsively buy clothing for different reasons and/or motivations.     

Linking Consumer and Lender Perspectives in Home Buying: a Transaction Price Analysis

The linkage between consumer and lender perspectives in home buying is explored. The realized transaction price in the home buying exchange is used to conceptualize this association. A framework for modeling the home purchase decision from the perspective of both lenders and buyers is presented. Data from a sample of home buyers in the northeastern United States is used to test the models. Results indicate the lender and consumer models developed provide complementary insights into the market determination of homeownership. Findings highlight the emerging significance of psychological expectations and perceptions in the homeownership decision in addition to known income and demographic effects. Implications for public policy on housing are offered.     

Coping with a natural disaster: Losses, emotions, and impulsive and compulsive buying

Using data collected from 427 US Gulf Coast residents who were impacted by Hurricane Katrina, a structural model based on life event theory is proposed and empirically tested. Results show that perceived lack of control and loss of possessions contribute directly to stress, and event-induced stress impacts depression. Depressive states, in turn, lead to impulsive and compulsive buying behaviors. Multi-group analysis reveals that income moderates the relationship between depression and compulsive buying, but age, gender, and insurance coverage do not. The depression–impulsive buying relationship is not moderated by any of these factors. Disaster victims engage in distinct purchasing behaviors to manage emotional states, recoup losses, and restore their sense of self. In the aftermath of a traumatic event, impulsive buying appears to be a rational and beneficial behavior; compulsive buying does not. The results heed valuable ethical and social responsibility implications to marketers and public policy makers.

Research frontiers on the dark side of consumer behaviour: The case of materialism and compulsive buying

ABSTRACT

Materialism and compulsive consumption are viewed as dimensions of the dark side of consumer behaviour and have been the focus of consumer research for several decades. This article first shows that previous efforts to study compulsive buying and materialism have been limited in part because they have relied on single perspectives and inadequate methods. Second, it suggests that research in this area could be advanced by adopting emergent approaches and methods that have been used in social and behavioural sciences to study the onset and development of maladaptive behavioural patterns. Third, the article presents the multi-theoretical life course research paradigm that has been widely adopted in numerous disciplines as an approach to the study of various forms of maladaptive behaviour. Fourth, it illustrates how this approach could be employed to study the onset and development of materialism and compulsive buying. Finally, drawing from this paradigm, the article offers new insights in the form of propositions and conceptual directions to help researchers improve their efforts in studying materialism and compulsive buying as well as other forms of the dark side of consumer behaviour.