Emotion-focused coping mediates the relationship between COVID-related distress and compulsive buying

Abstract

Background and aims COVID-19 posits psychological challenges worldwide and has given rise to nonadaptive behavior, especially in the presence of maladaptive coping. In the current study, we assessed whether the relationship between COVID-related distress and compulsive buying is mediated by task-focused and emotion-focused coping. We also examined whether these associations were invariant over time as the pandemic unfolded. Methods Self-report surveys were administered online in the United States in the first six months of the pandemic (March–October 2020) in sampling batches of 25 participants every three days, resulting in a total sample of N = 1,418 (40% female, mean age = 36.6). We carried out structural equation modeling to assess whether the relationship between distress related to COVID-19 and compulsive buying is mediated by task-focused and emotion-focused coping. Time was used as a grouping variable based on events related to the pandemic in the U.S. to calculate model invariance across three time periods. Results The results indicated significant mediation between distress, emotion-focused coping, and compulsive buying, but not between task-focused coping and compulsive buying. The mediation model showed excellent fit to the data (χ² = 1119.377, df = 420, RMSEA = 0.059 [0.055–0.064], SRMR = 0.049, CFI = 0.951, TLI = 0.947). Models were not invariant across the three examined time periods. Conclusions Our results indicate that compulsive buying is more likely to occur in relation to emotion-focused coping as a response to COVID-related distress than in relation to task-focused coping, especially during periods of increasing distress. However, model paths varied during the course of the pandemic.

Rise of Mental Sub-Health Consumers: Examining the Compulsive Buying Behavior in the Post-COVID-19 Era

“…Our study extends the conceptual framework by taking a compulsive buying perspective, while previous studies mostly examined the impact of COVID-19 negative perceptions on panic buying or just impulsive buying (Ahmed et al, 2020; Islam et al, 2021; Omar et al, 2021), and the relationships between negative psychological factors caused by pandemic and compulsive buying are confirmed. For research on compulsive buying mainly in two directions which are psychiatry and consumer behavior, authors revealed several rationales that creating compulsive buying, for instance, negative emotions such as anxiety (Darrat et al, 2016), depression (Sneath et al, 2009), and distress (Kovács et al, 2022), personal predispositions such as materialism (Harnish et al, 2019; Sharif & Khanekharab, 2017) and self-esteem (Ridgway et al, 2008), and even culturally-related motivation (He et al, 2018). Drawing on a set of interdisciplinary literature on psychology and business, this research may be the early attempt to investigate antecedents of compulsive buying regarding not only mental health factors (e.g., loneliness, anxiety) but also perceptions of the epidemic (e.g., scarcity, uncontrol, uncertainty and severity), contributing to a broader perspective on compulsive buying researches.…”

“…The COVID-19 pandemic situation provided a different perspective on compulsive buying, Maraz and Yi (2022) stated that the compulsive buying behavior gradually increased in the first 6 months of the pandemic outbreak, and the degree of it was related to the economic position and distress caused by COVID-19. The epidemic has been going on for about 3 years, and frequent and prolonged social isolation arise fear, anxiety, distress, and loneliness of people (C xelik & Ko¨se, 2021;Di Crosta et al, 2021;Kova´cs et al, 2022;. They may experience difficulties of life uncertainty in terms of sudden unemployment or study interruptions, which negatively impact the psychological aspects of consumers.…”

Compulsive buying behavior and its association with emotional distress, depression, and impulsivity in general population: an online survey

“…Dysfunctional coping has also been proposed to be contributing to compulsive buying. Emotion-focused coping was shown to mediate the association between distress and compulsive buying 8 . In addition, common psychiatric disorders, including depression and anxiety, are found in higher proportions in people with compulsive buying.…”

“…Emotion-focused coping was shown to mediate the association between distress and compulsive buying. 8 In addition, common psychiatric disorders, including depression and anxiety, are found in higher proportions in people with compulsive buying. Perceived stress is also reported to be significantly higher in affected population.…”

What Influences Someone to have Compulsive Buying Behavior? A Case of Indonesian Migrant Workers in Taiwan

“…Compulsive buying behavior, involving uncontrollable buying urges, affects individuals, including Indonesian domestic migrant workers [1]. These workers, particularly females, face challenges like low wages and societal expectations forming "ethnic niches" [2].…”