Compulsive Buying Behavior and Online Shopping Addiction of Women

The rise of e-commerce and online shopping platforms has revolutionized the way we shop and make purchases. While the convenience and accessibility of online shopping have been a boon for consumers, it has also led to the rise of compulsive buying behavior and online shopping addiction among women. The purpose of this paper is to explore the phenomenon of compulsive buying behavior and online shopping addiction among women and to understand the factors that contribute to this problem. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the literature on compulsive buying behavior and online shopping addiction using a purposeful sample of two hundred women who consider themselves to be addicted to online shopping. The findings from this paper can help shed light on the issue and inform future research and interventions aimed at addressing compulsive buying behavior and online shopping addiction among women. © 2023 NSP Natural Sciences Publishing Cor.

Compulsive buying during the COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) is a new coronavirus that was initially discovered in China's Wuhan Province in late December 2019. On February 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) designated the novel coronavirus as COVID-19 and a month later proclaimed it to be a "pandemic." Almost every country soon took widespread precautions, with the majority implementing varying forms of lockdown and social distancing, as well as disseminating advice on proper handwashing, avoiding touching the face, the wearing of facemasks, and using disposable tissues. These changes in daily life have not only harmed the physical health of the worldwide population, but have also caused increased levels of anxiety, stress, and symptoms of depression. According to research conducted during the pandemic, a considerable rise has been seen in cases of depression, anxiety, general stress, and posttraumatic stress. This rise has been more pronounced in vulnerable groups, especially for those having previously suffered from depression or anxiety disorders. In addition to addictions such as alcohol, nicotine, and substance abuse, compulsive buying (especially online) has shown a significant increase. Compulsive buying is characterized by a severe and maladaptive cognitive and behavioral predisposition towards uncontrollable shopping, which is frequently triggered by societal threats. Health crises such as pandemics can be a major trigger for compulsive buying (also known as "panic buying"), as has been universally observed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Compulsive buying bears all the characteristics of addictive behavior and can develop into a psychological condition requiring treatment. The behavior itself may be triggered through the experiencing of hardship or discomfort and can manifest itself as having a short-term positive effect on the person's well-being. Guilt, anxiety, and despair, however, can lead to long-term consequences, resulting in a negative affectivity cycle. The rise in online shopping during the pandemic has renewed interest in this mental healthrelated issue. This chapter focuses on the increased levels of compulsive buying witnessed during the pandemic. Initially, a brief definition of compulsive shopping is presented, and then the increases observed during the COVID-19 pandemic are discussed in light of the findings reported in the recent literature. Finally, the environmental and psychological variables that contribute to this scenario are examined, along with numerous recommendations. © 2022 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.

Academic Procrastination and Negative Emotions Among Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Mediating and Buffering Effects of Online-Shopping Addiction.

PURPOSE: The COVID-19 pandemic that began in 2019 has had a significant impact on people's learning and their lives, including a significant increase in the incidence of academic procrastination and negative emotions. The topic of how negative emotions influences academic procrastination has been long debated, and previous research has revealed a significant relationship between the two. The purpose of this study was to further investigate the mediating and buffering effects of online-shopping addiction on academic procrastination and negative emotions. METHODS: The researchers conducted a correlation analysis followed by a mediation analysis and developed a mediation model. The study used stratified sampling and an online questionnaire as the data collection method. In this study, first, five freshmen students at vocational and technical colleges in Guangdong Province, China, were called to distribute the questionnaire. Second, after communicating with them individually, first-year students of Guangdong origin were selected as participants. Finally, 423 freshman students participated by completing the questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of 4 parts: demographic information, an online-shopping-addiction scale, an academic-procrastination scale and a negative-emotions scale. A total of 423 students, 118 males (27.9%) and 305 females (72.1%) from 10 vocational and technical colleges in Guangdong were surveyed. SPSS 25.0 was used to process and analyze the data. The data collected were self-reported. RESULTS: The results showed that: first, academic procrastination was significantly and positively associated with online-shopping addiction (r = 0.176, p < 0.01). Second, academic procrastination was significantly and positively associated with negative emotions (r = 0.250, p < 0.01). Third, online-shopping addiction was significantly and positively associated with negative emotions (r = 0.358, p < 0.01). In addition, academic procrastination had a significant positive predictive effect on online-shopping addiction (ß = 0.1955, t = 3.6622, p < 0.001). Online-shopping addiction had a significant positive predictive effect on negative emotions (ß = 0.4324, t = 7.1437, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: This study explored the relationship between students' academic procrastination, negative emotions, and online-shopping addiction during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results indicated that students' level of academic procrastination positively influenced their level of online-shopping addiction and negative emotions, and their level of online-shopping addiction increased their negative emotions. In addition, there was a mediating effect between the degree of participants' online-shopping addiction and their degree of academic procrastination and negative emotions during the pandemic. In other words, with the mediating effect of online-shopping addiction, the higher the level of a participant's academic procrastination, the more likely that the participant would have a high score for negative emotions.