Empirical support for recognizing pathological buying/shopping as a mental disorder
Objective: To address the question of whether pathological buying/shopping differs from both risky and non-problematic buying/shopping. Method: Post-hoc analysis of data collected within the Addiction Research Unit FOR2974. Three predefined groups, as determined by face-to-face diagnostic interviews...
| Autores: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Estado: | Versión publicada |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2026 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya) |
| Repositorio: | Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:dnet:recercat____::f5d8ed234cb699591d711583eb9e5472 |
| Acceso en línea: | https://hdl.handle.net/2445/229393 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Compra compulsiva Psicodiagnòstic Compulsive shopping Psychodiagnostics |
| Sumario: | Objective: To address the question of whether pathological buying/shopping differs from both risky and non-problematic buying/shopping. Method: Post-hoc analysis of data collected within the Addiction Research Unit FOR2974. Three predefined groups, as determined by face-to-face diagnostic interviews, were compared: with pathological (pBSh, n = 62), risky (rBSh, n = 62), and non-problematic (control group, CG, n = 117) buying/shopping. Questionnaires were used to assess symptom severity (according to ICD-11 criteria for disorders due to addictive behaviors), functional impairment, craving, experience of gratification/compensation (all modified for buying/shopping), self-esteem, materialism, anxiety, depression, impulsiveness, and self-directedness. The laboratory testing included a cue reactivity paradigm and Go/No-Go affective shifting task with shopping-related cues, and standard tests for general cognitive functions (Stroop test, modified card sorting test, game of dice task, delay discounting task). Results: The pBSh group exhibited more pathological scores in the questionnaires assessing ICD-11 criteria/features for disorders due to addictive behaviors (including distress, harm, gratification/compensation), self-esteem, anxiety, depression and steeper delay discounting than the other groups. Moreover, the pBSh group scored higher on materialism and impulsiveness, showed higher craving, and poorer performance in the Go/No-Go task than the CG. Applying Bonferroni corrected p-values, the groups did not differ in the Stroop test, modified card sorting test and game of dice task. Conclusion: Pathological buying/shopping represents a distinct clinical syndrome that reflects underlying affective and cognitive dysfunctions and results in clinically significant distress and impairments. The findings provide further evidence of its classification as a disorder due to addictive behaviors. |
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