The role of impulsivity and of self-perceived attractiveness in impulse buying in women

Abstract

Impulse buying is a strong and unexpected urge to purchase an item with little thought for the consequences. While impulse buying has been studied in relationship to numerous variables, e.g. mood states, less attention has been paid to the role of trait impulsivity of the consumer. This study examined the role of impulsivity in three aspects of impulse buying in 232 college women. Impulse buying was measured with the Impulse Buying Tendency Scale (IBT), composed of two components (cognitive and affective), and a measure of recent buying. Impulsivity was measured with the UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale that differentiates among five facets of impulsivity (positive urgency, negative urgency, lack of premeditation, lack of perseverance, sensation seeking). Results showed that the affective aspect of IBT was predicted by negative, but not positive urgency, the cognitive aspect of IBT was predicted by lack of premeditation, and recent buying was predicted by lack of perseverance. Included in the study was a measure of self-perceived attractiveness, another largely unexplored potential influence on impulse buying. Self-perceived attractiveness was assessed by judgments about one’s attractiveness, relative to other women. High self-perceived attractiveness was related to the cognitive aspect of impulse buying, independent of level of impulsivity.