ONIOMANIA: VULNERABILITY FACTORS FOR PATHOLOGICAL BUYING BEHAVIOR

Abstract

Oniomania is a psychiatric syndrome and is characterized by obsessions (subjective feelings & thoughts) and compulsions (buying temptations) that are mostly glued by faulty beliefs. The main goal of this study was to explore low self-esteem and social identity as vulnerability factors towards compulsive buying. The primary data for this study was obtained from N=214 through a snowball technique of sampling. A compulsive buying scale, developed by Valence, d’Astous & Fortier (1998) was used to assess the degree of abnormal buying behavior. The Rosenberg’s Self-esteem Scale was employed to explore the level of self-esteem. Other socio-demographic factors were explored through self-constructed questionnaire. Regression analyses identified family position, share of responsibilities, money management, materialism, social-identity, and low self-esteem as potential variables related to compulsive buying disorder. Linear relationship was also observed in age and compulsive buying as compulsivity seems to decline with the aging