Click, Buy, Repeat: Understanding the Psychological and Behavioral Mechanisms of Online Shopping Behavior
- Liviu Poenaru
- Jan 1
- 2 min read
Authors: Fabio Frisone, Marina Cosenz, Giulia Brizzi, Giuseppe Riva
In recent years, online shopping has surged in popularity, driven by advances in digital technology and the widespread availability of the internet. This growth has been further accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic, which introduced social distancing measures and lockdowns, compelling consumers to rely heavily on e-commerce platforms for their purchases. While online shopping offers notable advantages in terms of convenience, it has also sparked concerns about its potential psychological impacts, particularly the rise in compulsive buying behaviors. Despite the growing prevalence of this issue, there is still a significant gap in empirical research exploring the affective and cognitive mechanisms that underlie problematic online shopping behaviors.
Emerging evidence indicates that individuals diagnosed with compulsive buying-shopping disorder (CBSD) frequently present with co-occurring mental health conditions, such as anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, and depressive disorders. The interaction between these psychological conditions and compulsive shopping behavior is intricate and multilayered. Individuals with CBSD may engage in excessive online shopping as a maladaptive coping mechanism for negative emotional states, yet this behavior can exacerbate emotional distress and lead to financial difficulties. Consequently, a deeper understanding of the psychological processes associated with CBSD is essential to inform the development of effective therapeutic interventions.
The Click, Buy, Repeat project aims to explore the complex relationships between compulsive online buying behavior, negative affectivity, euphoric mood states, and psychological defense mechanisms within a general population. This project represents a collaborative effort between the Humane Technology Lab at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy, and the Università degli Studi della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli." By investigating these interconnections, the project seeks to contribute to the growing body of knowledge surrounding compulsive buying behaviors and provide a foundation for developing evidence-based interventions targeting CBSD.
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