Lo, Hui-Yi;
Harvey, Nigel;
(2014)
Compulsive Buying: Obsessive Acquisition, Collecting or Hoarding?
International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction
, 12
(4)
pp. 453-469.
10.1007/s11469-014-9477-2.
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Abstract
We report two investigations into compulsive shopping behavior. The first showed that compulsive shoppers are obsessive in acquiring certain classes of product. Compared to normal shoppers, they spend more money on these products and shop for them more frequently. The second study showed that an obsession with acquiring these products rather than a desire to collect or hoard them is a significant factor in producing compulsive shopping behavior. This is consistent with the notion that compulsive shopping is an addictive habit reinforced by the relief from craving produced by the act of purchasing particular products. In our Taiwanese but not in our British sample, compulsive shopping led to hoarding behavior. This implies that the Taiwanese are more reluctant to discard items that they do not use. We discuss cultural factors that may account for this finding.
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