“I fear, therefore, I shop!” exploring anxiety sensitivity in relation to compulsive buying

Abstract

Compulsive buying involves a preoccupation with, or urges to, buy, that are experienced as intrusive and uncontrollable. Compulsive buying is associated with impaired functioning and serves to alleviate negative emotional arousal. Anxiety sensitivity (AS: fear of arousal-related somatic sensations) is a known risk factor for negative emotional arousal. The present study investigated whether AS was linked to compulsive buying, over and above negative affect (depression, anxiety, stress), in a sample of Canadian undergraduates. Results showed that females (vs. males) were more likely to report spending in the moment and experiencing guilt after shopping. Males were more apt to report experiencing negative feelings about shopping. Anxiety predicted the tendency to spend in the moment and to buy compulsively, while stress and depression predicted post-purchase guilt. AS-Physical and AS-Cognitive concerns predicted compulsive buying over and above negative affect. No role was found for AS-Social concerns. The findings are discussed in terms of clinical implications and directions for future research.