Exploring the Psychodynamics of Compulsive Shopping: Single and Moderated Mediation Analyses

The advent of the Internet has led to the growth of e-commerce; this also increases the triggers for impulse buying for vulnerable individuals. The aim of the present research is to investigate the role of alexithymia, dissociation, and average annual income on compulsive shopping, both online and on-site. A sample of 310 participants (M-age = 31.86 years, SD = 11.985) completed an online survey. Data were analyzed by implementing mediation and moderation analyses. As expected, a significant mediation model involving alexithymia, dissociation, and general compulsive shopping emerged. Furthermore, dissociation mediated the relationship between alexithymia and compulsive online shopping as assumed, with a moderation of average annual income such that as purchasing power declined, the effect of the dissociation on problematic online shopping behavior increased. Such findings suggest focusing therapeutic interventions for problematic shopping behavior on alexithymia and dissociation, and may orient preventive activities in specific populations (i.e., disadvantaged economic classes).