Cue-induced Craving in Pathological Buying: Empirical Evidence and Clinical Implications
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Pathological buying is associated with marked distress and impaired functioning in important life domains. It is currently under debate whether pathological buying can be considered a behavioral addiction. In analogy to results reported in addicted individuals, craving reactions elicited by addiction-related cues might be an underlying mechanism for the etiology and pathogenesis of pathological buying. METHODS: In the present study, 30 pathological buyers and 30 matched control participants were examined with a cue-reactivity paradigm consisting of shopping and control cues. Skin conductance responses, as well as subjective ratings for arousal, valence, and urge to buy, were assessed. Subjective craving reactions were measured before and after the cue-reactivity paradigm. RESULTS: On a physiological level, skin conductance responses toward shopping cues were higher in pathological buyers (mean [M; standard deviation {SD}] = 0.26 [0.13]) compared with control participants (M [SD] = 0.19 [0.09]; t(58) = 2.29, p = .025, d = 0.60). On a behavioral level, the individuals with pathological buying rated the shopping cues as more arousing and more positive, and reported a greater urge to buy compared with control participants and with control cues. An increase in subjective craving after completing the cue-reactivity paradigm was observed only in the pathological buyers (Mpre [SD] = 1.95 [1.47], Mpost [SD] = 2.87 [1.79]; t(29) = 5.07, p < .001, d = 0.97). CONCLUSIONS: Cue-reactivity and craving might be potential correlates for the development and maintenance of pathological buying. The results demonstrate similarities between pathological buying and substance or behavioral addictions and provide implications for clinical treatment.
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There are some studies from consumer psychology perspectives and studies using electrophysiological measures to investigate neurobiological mechanisms of buying-shopping disorder.
“There are, however, some studies from consumer psychology perspectives (e.g., Raab et al., 2011) and studies using electrophysiological measures to investigate neurobiological mechanisms of buying-shopping disorder (Trotzke et al., 2014) which have been reviewed recently (Kyrios et al., 2018; Trotzke et al., 2017).”
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Self-citationBehavioral neuroscience of buying-shopping disorder: a review
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- Authors
- Trotzke, P., Starcke, K., Pedersen, A., & Brand, M.
- Affiliations
- Erwin L. Hahn Institute for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Brand, Matthias
- Venue
- Psychosomatic Medicine
- Published
- 2014-11
- Volume
- 76
- Issue
- 9
- Pages
- 694-700
- ISSN
- 0033-3174 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2061537406
- Cited by
- 51
- References
- 47
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 6 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 3
- FWCI
- 15.99
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychosomatic Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Marketing › Consumer Retail Behavior Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Gambling Behavior and Treatments
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders
- Keywords
- compulsive buying, craving, cue reactivity, skin conductance response, urge to buy, behavioral addiction, arousal, valence
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Consumer Behavior, Cues, Galvanic Skin Response, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Behavior, Addictive, Craving
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