Prevalence study of compulsive buying in a sample with low individual monthly income

Abstract

Introduction: Compulsive buying can be characterized as an almost irresistible impulse to acquire various items. This is a current issue and the prevalence rate in the global population is around 5 to 8%. Some surveys indicate that the problem is growing in young and low-income populations. Objectives: To evaluate the prevalence of compulsive buying among people with low personal monthly incomes and analyze relationships with socio-demographic data. Methods: The Compulsive Buying Scale was administered to screen for compulsive buying and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale was used to assess anxiety and depression in a sample of 56 participants. Pearson coefficients were used to test for correlations. Results: The results indicated that 44.6% presented an average family income equal to or greater than 2.76 minimum wages. It is possible that compulsive buying is not linked to the purchasing power since it was found in a low-income population. Conclusion: Despite the small sample, the results of this study are important for understanding the problem in question.

The Role of Self-esteem and Fear of Negative Evaluation in Compulsive Buying

“…Furthermore, other psychopathological disorders have not been explored; first of all, depression is a dimension very often associated with pathological purchases that might affect differently men and women as a risk factor for compulsive buying (74). Moreover, comorbidity with other behavioral addictions should be investigated (75).…”

How psychological factors boost compulsive buying behavior in digital era

“…Ergin (2010) also explained the same findings in Turkish society. However, several research findings such as (O'Guinn and Faber, 1989; Scherhorn et al , 1990; Mueller et al , 2011; Unger, et al , 2014; Leite and Silva, 2015) showed that income does not have a significant relationship to purchasing behavior compulsive. The inconsistency of the research findings indeed becomes an important issue, because humans as compulsive buying decision-makers apparently are motivated by psychological factors, as in the findings of Kellet and Bolton (2009) and Claes et al (2010), which showed that compulsive buying has negative reinforcing properties and is used to escape negative feelings such as anxiety, depression, tension, or boredom.…”