Excessive shopping on the internet: recent trends in compulsive buying-shopping disorder

Psychotherapy research for compulsive buying-shopping disorder: Quo vadis?

Aim The aim of this position paper is to address the question of how psychotherapy research for compulsive buying-shopping disorder (CBSD) should develop further. Method: After a brief summary of existing psychotherapy research, this paper concentrates on the advantages and shortcomings of previous psychotherapy studies and offers recommendations for future psychotherapy research in the domain of CBSD. Results: Systematic reviews indicate that cognitive behavioural therapy is the most researched form of psychotherapy and presents a helpful intervention for reducing the symptom severity of CBSD. Notwithstanding the positive outcomes, the psychotherapy studies to date are limited by methodological shortcomings, which reduce their validity and generalizability. While research into the psychological mechanisms of offline and online CBSD has expanded considerably, psychotherapy research has not kept pace with this growth. Although the majority of individuals with CBSD engage in online shopping, the problematic usage of shopping websites has not been considered in any of the treatment studies to date. Conclusion: The application of the experimental medicine framework to psychotherapy research for CBSD may enhance the integration of findings on psychological mechanisms of CBSD with existing treatment concepts for CBSD. Moreover, it is necessary to consider the impact of technological factors and e-marketing in the context of treatment. There is a need for 1) proof-of-concept studies to test specific interventions that target specific psychological processes and mechanisms of CBSD, and 2) high-quality psychotherapy studies to test the efficacy and effectiveness of new treatment approaches in accordance with the scientific standards for randomised controlled trials.

Mental imagery in the context of online compulsive buying-shopping disorder: The role of pleasure and relief

Background

The rise of e-commerce has led to an increase in online compulsive buying-shopping disorder (OCBSD), an addictive disorder potentially driven by preoccupations like mental imagery, yet their occurrence and predictors have not been thoroughly explored.

Methods

This study investigated the expression of and associations with mental imagery in women with pathological (n = 56) or non-problematic buying-shopping (n = 56) applying hierarchical regression analyses. Participants were classified based on a structured diagnostic interview, completed self-report questionnaires assessing experiences of gratification and compensation during shopping, and a 14-day end-of-day ambulatory assessment, evaluating mental imagery intensity.

Results

Women with pathological buying-shopping reported significantly more intense shopping-specific mental imagery compared to women with non-problematic buying-shopping. Mental imagery was significantly predicted only by compensatory experiences in the pathological buying-shopping group with medium effect sizes.

Discussion

The findings suggest that in OCBSD, mental images likely arise from to the anticipated effects of relief, possibly indicating a maladaptive coping strategy.

How Metacognitions Contribute to Compulsive Online Shopping: An Exploratory Study

OBJECTIVES

Compulsive Online Shopping (COS) is considered a technological addiction, characterized by excessive engagement in online shopping behaviors that can cause economic, social, and emotional impairments in an individual's life. Among the theoretical models aimed at conceptualizing addictive behaviors, the metacognitive model has gained increased attention. However, no previous study has investigated the role of metacognitions in COS. The current study was aimed at clarifying the contribution of metacognitions about online shopping as potential mediating variables in the relationship between some well-established psychological correlates (i.e., boredom proneness, impulsivity, materialism, negative affect) and COS.

METHODS

A sample of 254 participants (mean age = 34.79 ± 11.45; Females = 84.3%) was recruited using convenience sampling.

RESULTS

The hypothesized model produced a good fit to the data and accounted for 48% of COS variance. All the correlates (i.e., boredom proneness, impulsivity, materialism, and negative affect) were significantly and positively associated with Positive Metacognitions About Emotional And Cognitive Regulation, which in turn predicted COS. Boredom proneness and impulsivity were also positively associated with Negative Metacognitions About Uncontrollability And Cognitive Harm of online shopping, which in turn predicted COS. All the indirect effects were significant.

CONCLUSIONS

The present findings add to the argument that the metacognitive model of addictive behaviors may applied to the understanding of COS and open the possibility of applying metacognitive techniques to the treatment of COS.

Intrinsic motivations in health and fitness app engagement: A mediation model of entertainment

Objective

This study aims to investigate the intrinsic motivations driving continued usage of health and fitness apps, addressing a gap in the literature where user motivation has received limited attention. The study focuses on the role of entertainment as a mediator between intrinsic motivations and continuance intention, using the Uses and Gratifications Theory as a conceptual framework.

Methods

Data were collected through an online survey of 2869 health and fitness app users in Vietnam. Intrinsic motivations were categorized into challenge, curiosity, fantasy, and social interaction. Hypotheses were tested using SEM, and subgroup analyses were conducted to examine variations across demographic groups.

Results

The findings reveal that entertainment mediates the relationship between intrinsic motivations and continuance intention, with challenge and curiosity being the strongest predictors of sustained app usage. Challenge also demonstrated a direct effect on continuance intention, independent of entertainment. Demographic analysis indicated that males are primarily motivated by challenge and curiosity, while females and higher-income users are driven more by curiosity.

Conclusion

This study highlights the importance of intrinsic motivations in shaping user engagement with health and fitness apps. Practical implications include the need for app developers to design features that align with user motivations, such as gamified challenges, personalized content, and interactive elements. Future research should explore extrinsic motivations and validate the framework across other digital platforms to expand its applicability.

Individualized prediction of online shopping addiction from whole-brain functional connectivity

Online shopping addiction (OSA) is defined as a behavioral addiction where an individual exhibits an unhealthy and excessive attachment to shopping on the Internet. Since the OSA shown its adverse impacts on individuals' daily life and social functions, it is important to examine the neurobiological underpinnings of OSA that could be used in clinical practice to identify individuals with OSA. The present study addressed this question by employing a connectome-based prediction model approach to predict the OSA tendency of healthy subjects from whole-brain resting-state functional connectivity. The OSA connectome - a set of connections across multiple brain networks that contributed to predict individuals' OSA tendency was identified, including the functional connectivity between the frontal-parietal network (FPN) and cingulo-opercular network (CON) (i.e., positive network), as well as the functional connectivity within default mode network (DMN) and that between FPN and DMN (i.e., negative network). Key nodes that contributed to the prediction model included the middle frontal gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus, anterior cingulate cortex, and inferior temporal gyrus, which have been associated with impulsivity and emotional processing. Notably, this connectome has shown its specific role in predicting OSA by controlling for the influence of general Internet addiction. Moreover, the strength of the negative network mediated the relationship between OSA and impulsivity, highlighting that the negative network underlies the impulsivity characteristic of OSA. Together, these findings advanced our understanding of the neural correlates of OSA and provided a promising framework for diagnosing OSA.

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.

Cognitive Functions in Compulsive Buying-Shopping Disorder: a Systematic Review

Purpose of the Review

To provide a systematic review of experimental studies concerning cognitive functions in compulsive buying-shopping disorder (CBSD) and to evaluate the studies as supporting or not supporting the affective and cognitive interactions proposed by the Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution (I-PACE) model for addictive behaviors.

Recent Findings

The results of the present review concerning CBSD mirror findings regarding cue reactivity and disadvantageous decision making in other addictive behaviors, but they also demonstrate a relative lack of experimental studies addressing other cognitive domains such as attentional bias, inhibitory control, implicit associations, or Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer. Experimental work on physiological and neural correlates of affective and cognitive mechanisms and their interaction in CBSD is still at the beginning.

Summary

While a reasonable number of experimental neuropsychological studies support the application of the I-PACE framework to CBSD, future research is required to systematically examine affective and cognitive interactions in CBSD.

Student Stress and Online Shopping Addiction Tendency among College Students in Guangdong Province, China: The Mediating Effect of the Social Support

Online shopping addiction tendency (OSAT) among college students has become too serious to ignore. As a result, it is necessary to carefully examine the relevant factors that shape students' online shopping addiction tendencies. This study aimed to determine whether social support mediates the relationship between college students' stress (academic hassle, personal hassle, and negative life events) and OSAT. In this cross-sectional study using a convenient sampling method, Chinese students from eight universities in Guangdong Province, China, completed self-administered questionnaires in either printed or online format. The survey data includes daily online shopping usage, college student stress, a social support rating scale, an online shopping addiction tendency scale for college students, and demographic information. A total number of verified and valid questionnaires were returned. In a sample of 1123 (mean age = 20.28 years; 58% females). Each individual had online shopping experience. The survey revealed no gender differences in OSAT. There was a statistically significant relationship between student stress (academic hassle, personal hassle, and negative life events) and students' OSAT scores and social support. The latter was negatively correlated with OSAT and mediated the relationship between college students' stress and their OSAT. In conclusion, university students' stress (academic hassle, personal hassle, and negative life events) acts as a trigger for OSAT. A combination of a high stress level and a lack of social support increases the likelihood of developing OSAT. Social support has an effect on the OSAT of college students by relieving their stress; social support is a protective factor against the OSAT for college students.

The Relationship between Attachment Styles and Compulsive Online Shopping: The Mediating Roles of Family Functioning Patterns

The rapid expansion of e-commerce has made the buying experience faster, potentially anonymous, and without limits of space and time. While this may produce benefits, for some individuals, online shopping can become an addiction. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore the psychological factors that may be associated with Compulsive Online Shopping, with a specific focus on the role of Attachment Styles and Family Functioning patterns as risk or protective factors. The study involved a sample of 306 participants (M_age = 31.86 years, SD = 11.925) who filled out an online survey consisting of the Compulsive Online Shopping Scale, Relationship Questionnaire, Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales-IV, as well as a demographic questionnaire. The results showed two significant parallel mediation models. In the first one, Secure Attachment was negatively and significantly related to Compulsive Online Shopping, with the mediation of Cohesion and Enmeshed Family Functioning. In the second one, Fearful Attachment was positively and significantly related to Compulsive Online Shopping, with the mediation of Cohesion and Enmeshed Family Functioning. Important implications for preventive activity and tailored interventions may emerge from these data.