The Tantalizing Factors Associated with Compulsive Buying Among Young Adult Consumers

Abstract

Most economies cannot prosper without production and mass consumption. However, when consumers overspend to keep up with the Joneses, they will be in trouble, both financially and psychologically. Indeed, when consumers allow spending to take over their lives, they suffer from an obsessive disorder commonly known as compulsive buying. The purpose of this paper is to propose a conceptual model based primarily on existing scientific and empirical research to explain the possible mechanism responsible in young adult consumers’ development of compulsive buying tendencies. The role of television viewing, family and peer communication environment on the development of materialistic values among young adult consumers is reviewed. Next, the effect of materialism on the development of compulsive buying behaviour is re-examined, and an integrated model of compulsive buying is formulated. On the basis of prior empirical research, materialism is highlighted as a possible moderator in the relationship between television viewing, family and peer communication environment influences on the development of compulsive buying tendencies among young adult consumers. Prior studies conducted in the domain of family environment and compulsive buying behaviour among young adult consumers, did not addressed (any) specific effect of family communication patterns on the development of compulsive buying tendencies.

Key words: Compulsive buying; Materialism; Television viewing influences; Family and peer communication environment influences; Young adult consumers