Big Five Personality Traits, Coping Strategies and Compulsive Buying in Spanish University Students

Psychosocial Functioning of Individuals at Risk of Developing Compulsive Buying Disorder

(1) Background: This study aimed to establish the connection between depressiveness, workaholism, eating disorders, and personality traits, according to the five-point model called the Big Five, in women with a risk of compulsive buying disorder. (2) Methods: The study was conducted on 556 Polish women from the West Pomeranian Voivodeship. The study employed the diagnostic survey method using a questionnaire technique including Personality Inventory NEO-FFI, the Buying Behaviour Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory I-II, the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire, and a self-questionnaire. (3) Results: The analysis revealed the risk of compulsive buying being accompanied by a higher median score for depressiveness, neuroticism, Cognitive Restraint of Eating, Uncontrolled Eating, and a risk of workaholism. A lower score in the respondents in the compulsive buying risk group was observed in an assessment of agreeableness and conscientiousness. Work addiction was exhibited by 26% of people with compulsive buying disorder vs. 12% of people without it. (4) Conclusion: This study found that a high risk of compulsive buying disorder is accompanied by a high risk of moderate depressiveness, neuroticism, Cognitive Restraint of Eating, Uncontrolled Eating, and workaholism. It also confirmed the view that compulsive buying is a behavioural addiction which is a consequence of ineffective coping and being dissatisfied with one's social life.

Big Five Personality Traits and Compulsive Buying: The Mediating Role of Self-Esteem

The inter-relationships between the Big Five personality traits, self-esteem, and compulsive buying are supported by strong empirical evidence. What is yet unknown is to what extent self-esteem can channel the influence of personality traits on compulsive buying. The main objective of this study is to explore the possible mediating role of self-esteem in the link between the Big Five personality traits and compulsive buying. Path analysis results, using a sample of 487 university students, generally confirm the suitability of the proposed model in which self-esteem mediated the effects of the Big Five personality traits (neuroticism, extraversion, agreeableness, openness to experience, and conscientiousness) on compulsive buying. Moreover, a direct effect of neuroticism and conscientiousness on compulsive buying was found. Finally, based on the finding that self-esteem acts as a necessary filter in the analysis of the five factors-compulsive buying relationship, several action-oriented guidelines for the prevention or intervention of this behavioral problem are suggested.

Mediating role of splitting in relation to attachment styles and shopping addiction

Introduction

Shopping can provide a sense of satisfaction and pleasure; however, if a person's excessive involvement in this behavior starts to negatively impact other aspects of their life, similar to other addictive behaviors like excessive internet use, gaming, and gambling, it may be classified as pathological. Given the lack of agreement regarding the classification of excessive shopping tendencies as a separate mental health condition or addictive behavior, taking a socio-emotional approach to explore the psychological factors that precede this behavior, may offer a better comprehension of it.

Methods

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between attachment styles and excessive shopping behavior, as well as to investigate the potential mediating effect of defense mechanisms like splitting on this relationship. Using convenience sampling, a group of 457 stock market employees (116 female, 341 male) between the ages of 24 and 60 were recruited. The researchers utilized a set of validated psychological questionnaires to assess the employees attachment styles, shopping addiction, and splitting tendencies.

Results

The results obtained from both the mediation model and path analysis suggest that attachment styles do not have a direct relationship with shopping addiction. Nonetheless, the study supports the impact of insecure anxious and avoidan attachment styles on splitting. Furthermore, the findings confirm that splitting has a mediating effect on the relationship between attachment styles and splitting.

Discussion

The present study enhanced our comprehension of the subconscious mechanisms underlying shopping tendencies. Specifically, the findings suggest that excessive tendencies towards shopping can be considered a maladaptive response resulting from insecure attachment styles and the unconscious utilization of the splitting defense mechanism.

The personality puzzle: a comprehensive analysis of its impact on three buying behaviors

This study aimed at examining the role of personality traits in impulsive buying, compulsive buying, and panic buying simultaneously during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the beginning of the third confinement announced by the Portuguese government, 485 Portuguese answered in this study, mean age of 41.9 years (min = 18, max = 84; SD = 12.9), and 29.9% were men. Analyzes were carried out to investigate the association of Big Five's personality factors with impulsive buying, compulsive buying, and panic buying. Results showed that the three buying behaviors under study have significant and positive correlations between them, and they also correlate with different personality traits. The association of each Big Five factor on buying behaviors differed. While conscientiousness was negatively and openness was positively associated with impulsive buying, conscientiousness was negatively associated with compulsive buying, agreeableness was positively associated with panic buying, and neuroticism correlated positively with all consumer behaviors. Understanding the personality traits that contribute to the development of a disorder may provide valuable insight into preventive measures and effective treatment approaches for some debilitating disorders. This study opens ways for investigating impulsive buying and compulsive buying by relating them to panic buying. It discusses the three different buying behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic and future consumer research directions involving other variables.

Muster von problematischem Kaufverhalten unter Studierenden und deren Unterschiede in Persönlichkeitsmerkmalen, materieller Werteorientierung, psychischer Belastung und Produktpräferenz

Ziel der Studie ist, zu einem differenzierten Verständnis von Kaufsucht beizutragen, indem untersucht wird, inwieweit problematisches Kaufverhalten als mehrdimensionales Konstrukt zu verstehen ist. Um Fachkräfte in Prävention und Unterstützung von Betroffenen zu sensibilisieren, werden verschiedene Personengruppen mit problematischem Kaufverhalten voneinander abgegrenzt.

Methodik Es wurden N=258 Studierende zu Kaufverhalten und Persönlichkeitsmerkmalen, materieller Werteorientierung, psychischer Belastung sowie Produktpräferenzen befragt. Die Dimensionalität des problematischen Kaufverhaltens wurde faktorenanalytisch geprüft und bildet die Grundlage für nachgeschaltete Cluster- und Diskriminanz- sowie Varianzanalysen zur Differenzierung verschiedener Personengruppen mit problematischem Kaufverhalten.

Ergebnisse Problematisches Kaufverhalten setzt sich aus fehlender Bedarfsorientierung, impulsiv-reaktivem Verhalten und selbstregulatorisch-reflektierter Tendenz zusammen. Es zeigten sich die zwei Subtypen Status- sowie Selbstregulationskonsumierende, die sich im Ausmaß ihrer Somatisierung unterscheiden. Auffällig Konsumierende hatten im Vergleich zu Personen mit unauffälligem Kaufverhalten eine höhere materielle Werteorientierung und einen höheren Neurotizismuswert. Verglichen mit gewöhnlichen Konsumierenden waren Selbstregulationskonsumierende weniger offen und verträglich, stärker psychisch belastet und hatten mehr Produktpräferenzen.

Schlussfolgerung Problematisches Kaufverhalten sollte zukünftig in Bezug auf fehlende Bedarfsorientierung, impulsiv-reaktives Verhalten und selbstregulatorisch-reflektierte Tendenz differenzierter klassifiziert und diagnostiziert werden. Neurotizismus, materielle Werteorientierung sowie zugrundeliegende Kaufmotive, wie die Aufwertung von Status und Identität oder die Regulation von aversiven Emotionen, könnten eine bedeutende Rolle in Prävention und Behandlung von problematischem Kaufverhalten spielen.

What Do We Know When We Know a Compulsive Buying Person? Looking at Now and Ahead

Over the last few decades, research has seamlessly confirmed the marked multicausal nature of compulsive buying, since variables from different realms (e.g., family, social, and contextual domains) have demonstrated their explanatory capacity. However, it has been personality variables that have, to a greater extent, aroused the interest of researchers, leading to what is now a cumbersome richness of personal constructs of different nature that seem to require some arrangement under integrative frameworks. The proposal by McAdams under the suggestive title of "What do we know when we know a person?" is, in this regard, especially attractive and thought-provoking. McAdams approaches us to the person as a whole by establishing three differentiated levels (dispositional traits, personal concerns or characteristics adaptations, life story), and it will be precisely these levels that will become the structure we will use to address the state of the art on compulsive buyers. The location of the multiple personal variables analyzed at each of the levels with a common grammar will allow us to identify what it is known, as well as what remains to be done in each space. Lastly, suggestions for the future are given, with particular emphasis on advancing our understanding of the person from each of the academic vantage points but also the suitability of designing studies that integrate and/or build bridges between dispositional traits, characteristic adaptations, and life narratives. The hope is that research in the coming years satisfactorily integrates the different visions of the person to achieve a more comprehensive, nuanced portrait of a person with compulsive buying problems.

Problematic Shopping Behavior: An Item Response Theory Examination of the Seven-Item Bergen Shopping Addiction Scale

There has been an increasing amount of research examining problematic shopping behavior (PSB), often referred to in the psychological literature as "compulsive buying" or "shopping addiction." A popular scale for assessing the risk of PSB is the seven-item Bergen Shopping Addiction Scale (BSAS). To expand our knowledge of the psychometric properties of this instrument, the present study employed Item Response Theory (IRT) and differential item functioning analyses (DIF) while concurrently attempting to determine a preliminary cut-off point. A relatively large community sample completed the BSAS online (N = 968, M age = 29.5 years, SD age = 9.36, 32.5% women). IRT analyses showed differences regarding the BSAS items' discrimination, difficulty, and precision, with a raw score exceeding 23 (out of 28) indicating a higher risk of shopping addiction. Finally, while most BSAS items operated equally among males and females, Item 2 (mood modification) required a higher level of shopping addiction behaviors to be endorsed by males. The BSAS functions as a reliable assessment of the risk of shopping addiction, particularly between average and high levels of the trait. Clinical implications are discussed in light of these findings.

The Relationship of Shopping-Related Decisions with Materialistic Values Endorsement, Compulsive Buying-Shopping Disorder Symptoms and Everyday Moral Decision Making

BACKGROUND

Compulsive buying-shopping disorder (CBSD) is associated with high materialistic values endorsement and excessive purchasing of consumer goods. A subgroup of individuals with CBSD engage in socially unacceptable behaviors to continue shopping despite negative consequences. This investigation aimed at exploring possible links between ego-oriented shopping-related decisions, materialism, symptoms of CBSD and close-to-everyday moral decision making.

METHODS

In study 1, patients with CBSD were interviewed to develop a list of conflict situations, capturing typical shopping-related dilemmas. In study 2, the shopping-related dilemmas from study 1, standardized close-to-everyday moral dilemmas, the Material Values Scale and Pathological Buying Screener were administered to a web-based convenience sample (n = 274).

RESULTS

The main effects of a moderated hierarchical regression analysis revealed an association of more ego-oriented shopping-related decisions with both higher materialistic values endorsement and more CBSD symptoms, but not with everyday moral decision-making. However, a more egoistic everyday moral decision making style moderated the effect of CBSD symptoms on ego-oriented shopping related decisions.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings indicate that a more egoistic everyday moral decision making style is not directly linked to domain-specific shopping-related decision making but strengthens the link between symptoms of CBSD and ego-oriented shopping-related decisions.

The Continued Use of Social Commerce Platforms and Psychological Anxiety-The Roles of Influencers, Informational Incentives and FoMO

Why does the continued use of social commerce platforms fail to promote consumer wellbeing? This study explores the roles of influencers, informational incentives and fear of missing out (FoMO) in the relationships between social commerce platform use and consumer mental health. Data were obtained through questionnaires, as well as constructing a research model. Statistical analysis and path analysis of the structural equation model were performed by the software IBM SPSS and AMOS, and the following results were obtained. (1) Influencer expertise and interactivity, informational incentives and FoMO have a significant impact on consumers’ continued use of social commerce platforms. (2) Materialism has no significant effect on consumer social commerce platform use. (3) FoMO mediates the relationships between informational incentives and continued use of social commerce platforms. (4) Consumers’ continuous use of social commerce platforms has a strong relationship with mental health. (5) Continued use of social commerce platforms can lead to intense social engagement, as well as more severe outcomes such as psychological anxiety and compulsive buying. The findings of the paper have important implications for the development of social business theory and management practice.

Teachers' Personality, Perfectionism, and Self-Efficacy as Predictors for Coping Strategies Based on Personal Resources

Many psychological constructs as personality, perfectionism, and self-efficacy have been identified to have a strong contribution to teachers’ coping strategies, but how these variables collectively predict different types of coping has received little attention. The present study aimed to explore the personal resources (personality traits, perfectionistic strivings, and self-efficacy) which predict teachers’ proactive coping strategies. The sample study consisted of 284 pre-service teachers, with ages ranging from 18 to 34years old (M=19.9; SD=2.1). Four hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted separately for every proactive coping strategy based on personal resources as criterion variables. Results showed that conscientiousness and openness were predictors for all four coping strategies based on personal resources (proactive, reflective, strategic planning, and preventive coping), extraversion and neuroticism predicted only proactive coping strategies, and agreeableness did not predict any kind of these coping strategies. Planfulness was a predictor for reflective, strategic planning, and preventive coping strategies; striving for excellence predicted only proactive coping, and organization was a predictor only for reflective coping strategies. Self-efficacy predicted the first three proactive coping strategies but preventive coping. Because coping strategies can be learned, knowing what personal resources may help teachers to cope with stressful situations inside and outside the school, could be organized training programs to improve activity and well-being in the teaching profession.

The investigation of mechanisms underlying addictive behaviors: a case-control study

Background: The contradictory nature of behavioral addictions has sustained a nondefinitive debate regarding their construct validity. Objective(s): The current study aims at exploring mechanisms underlying two distinct classes of behaviors-behavioral addictions characterized by core alterations in reward processing systems (ARPS) and behaviors with a main function of maladaptive coping. Methods: This case-control study included 99 treatment-seeking individuals with a primary diagnosis of alcohol use disorder (male: N = 68; female: N = 31) and 74 healthy control (HC) subjects (male: N = 38; female: N = 36). The severity of maladaptive behaviors was measured through the Shorter PROMIS Questionnaire (SPQ). Latent mechanisms were assessed by the Disinhibition Domain of the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5-DI) and the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II). Results: The clinical group showed higher severity of behavioral addictions than HC. This difference was not replicated for the other class of maladaptive behaviors, except for compulsive buying. Ordinal regression analysis showed that the clinical group significantly predicted SPQ scores reflecting ARPS, SPQ shopping and starving subscales. This was not replicated for the overall SPQ score capturing maladaptive coping and binge eating behaviors. Controlling for PID-5-DI and AAQ-II scores, which were significantly associated to SPQ subscales, effects of the aforementioned clinical group were not significant. Conclusions: The study highlighted distinct and common mechanisms underlying different classes of maladaptive behaviors. Results supported future neuroscience research for clarifying the role of ARPS in compulsive sex and buying in order to consider them as addictive disorders.

Life Aspirations, Generativity and Compulsive Buying in University Students

The study of goal-oriented behaviour, because of its undeniable repercussions on physical and mental health, is one of the target topics of contemporary research. However, the content of life aspirations, emphasised from the self-determination theory, has received little attention from the field of compulsive buying although it plays an important role in the regulation of behaviour and well-being. Generativity, the personal construct that captures the intentions and/or the need to contribute (leave a legacy) to others, has never been analysed with respect to compulsive buying although it has been the source of interest of related fields (responsible consumption). Accordingly, this study seeks to shed light on the role of both constructs (life aspirations and generativity) in compulsive buying among university students. The sample consisted of 1093 Spanish university students classified either as non-compulsive buyers or compulsive buyers. Estimated prevalence of compulsive buying was 7.9%. The results of Student's test confirm that, besides gender (women report greater propensity to the phenomenon), compulsive buyers score higher and show statistically significant differences with respect to non-compulsive buyers in all extrinsic goals (financial success, image, popularity and conformity) and hedonism. Non-compulsive buyers show significantly higher scores for the intrinsic goals of self-acceptance, affiliation and community feeling and also report a higher generative concern. The logistic regression analysis confirms that being female and the life aspirations of image, popularity and hedonism act as risk factors in compulsive buying in university students while generativity and the importance granted to the intrinsic goals of self-acceptance and affiliation are protective factors. Potential lines of action for this worrying phenomenon are discussed in the light of the findings.

Exploring the Roles of Daily Spiritual Experiences, Self-Efficacy, and Gender in Shopping Addiction: A Moderated Mediation Model

Although spirituality has been considered a protective factor against shopping addiction, the mechanisms involved in this relationship are still poorly recognized. The present study aims to test the association of daily spiritual experiences, self-efficacy, and gender with shopping addiction. The sample consisted of 430 young adults (275 women and 155 men), with a mean age of 20.44 (SD = 1.70). The Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale, the General Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Bergen Shopping Addiction Scale were used to measure the study variables. The results showed that: (1) Daily spiritual experiences had a direct negative effect on shopping addiction; (2) daily spiritual experiences were positively related to self-efficacy, thought the effect was moderated by gender; (3) self-efficacy negatively correlated with a shopping addiction; and (4) the indirect effect of daily spiritual experiences on shopping addiction through self-efficacy was significant for women but insignificant for men. The findings confirm that spirituality protects young adults against developing a shopping addiction. They also suggest that when introducing spiritual issues into shopping addiction prevention or treatment programs, the gender-specific effects of spirituality on shopping addiction via self-efficacy should be considered to adequately utilize young women’s and men’s spiritual resources.