Abstract
Research in consumer behavior points to a relationship between self-regulation and buying behavior. This chapter addresses how three types of buying behaviors--self-gifting, impulse buying and compulsive buying--result from self-regulatory efforts or failures. Existing literature on self-gifting suggests that it can serve to reward self-control efforts as well as be an outcome of self-regulatory failure. Impulsive and compulsive buying most often result from failed efforts at self-control. Impulse buying is often the result of a single violation stemming from underregulation caused by resource depletion. Compulsive buying, conversely, is best be described as chronic inability to self-regulate resulting from misregulation due to conflicting goals and ineffective monitoring. Findings regarding compulsive buying closely match expectations derived from escape theory. This chapter suggests that future research on self-regulation and consumption can serve to further our knowledge regarding both disciplines. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)
Original language | English (US) |
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Title of host publication | Handbook of self-regulation: Research, theory, and applications |
Place of Publication | New York, NY, US |
Publisher | Guilford Press |
Pages | 509-524 |
Number of pages | 16 |
ISBN (Print) | 978-1-57230-991-3 |
State | Published - 2004 |
Keywords
- Compulsions
- Consumer Behavior
- Impulsiveness
- Self-Control
- Self-Monitoring
- Shopping