Development of a New Scale for Measuring Compulsive Buying Behavior

Written By: Elizabeth A. Edwards

Compulsive buying is an abnormal form of consumer spending which afflicts many individuals who, as a result, often find themselves in deep debt. An instrument to assess compulsive spending behavior is developed and the reliability and validity of the scale and its subscales are evaluated. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses confirm five hypothesized dimensions comprising compulsive spending: Compulsion/Drive to Spend, Feelings About Shopping and Spending, Tendency to Spend, Dysfunctional Spending, and Post-Purchase Guilt. Financial counselors and therapists could use the scale to signal the need for clients to seek out appropriate resources for help in addressing the underlying behaviors and attitudes that led them to excessive debt. Key Words: compulsive, measurement, spending

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