Shopping Addiction Is Driven by Personal Focus Rather than Social Focus Values but to the Exclusion of Achievement and Self-Direction

Abstract

The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between shopping addiction and a comprehensive model of motivational principles conceptualized within the Schwartz’s values theory. On the basis of previous research on the associations of shopping addiction with personality and particular values, it was hypothesized that shopping addiction would be positively related to all personal focus values that refer to self-enhancement and openness to change, and negatively related to social focus values that emphasize conservation and self-transcendence. The Bergen Shopping Addiction Scale, a tool based on common addiction components, and the Short Schwartz Values Survey were administered to 1156 undergraduate students. The results mostly supported the hypotheses; however, contrary to what was expected, shopping addiction had negative associations with achievement and self-direction. These results suggest that while compulsive buyers are strongly motivated to pursue prestige and pleasurable, hedonistic life, they diminish the importance of productivity or creativity that would allow achieving their goals. To some extent, shopping addiction could be understood as a striving for the ideal lifestyle with minimum effort by those who struggle with maintaining positive and healthy social relations. The findings contribute to the understanding of individual differences related to the development and persistence of shopping addiction.