What is it about?
The study evaluates existing compulsive buying behaviour screening tools in light of recent theoretical advances, and develops a new diagnostic screener. This instrument captures the two key behavioural aspects of the disorder: compulsive purchasing to release inner tension, and self-control impairment which reduces an individual's ability to resist spending. The study used a sample of 989 young adult consumers to develop the new 7 item diagnostic screening tool, and a second sample of 372 young adults to test the instrument against three existing screeners. The results indicate that the new instrument screens more effectively for compulsive buying behaviour.
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Why is it important?
Compulsive buying is different from making an impulse purchase or occasionally over spending on a shopping trip; it is a form of addiction with some commonalities with substance abuse and is caused by anxiety and low self-esteem. Those who suffer from this condition are unable to resist strong inner urges to make repeated, unnecessary purchases and to spend excessively. Promoting awareness of this behaviour may influence policy making in relation to socially responsible marketing communications, while effective diagnosis and intervention can potentially mitigate the long-term negative impacts of this debilitating condition.
Perspectives
This study represents a step ahead in the understanding of compulsive buying behaviour because it moves away from the traditional impulsive-compulsive paradigm to explain the disorder. Previous studies incorporated, in their scales, items to detect impulsivity which could also apply to non-compulsive buyers; in addition, the concept of impulsivity could be misinterpreted by respondents because some might buy unplanned items and not necessarily be pathologically impulsive. Therefore, these scales could dilute the detection and understanding of compulsive buying behaviour. The article explains in detail the rigour of the methodological approach in order to demonstrate the validity of the process. It aims to become a new platform for future studies and provides a solid instrument to identify compulsive buying behaviour to contribute to the mental wellbeing of society.
Dr Agata Maccarrone-Eaglen
University od Salford
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Compulsive buying behavior: Re-evaluating its dimensions and screening, Journal of Consumer Behaviour, April 2017, Wiley,
DOI: 10.1002/cb.1652.
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