Relationship of Compulsive Buying Behaviour with Materialism, Self-evaluations and Attitude towards Self among College Going Students

Abstract

The occupancy of compulsive buying is deeply rooted in the present scenarios and has been diverted into various aspects that could be materialism, self-evaluation, and attitude towards self. Compulsive buying behaviour gets influenced by other various aspects which are seen in personal vicinity. It has been characterised by both compulsive and impulsive behaviour. Materialism influences a consumer’s behaviour by evaluating their life success with other materialistic possessions and weighing them above anything. The comparison with materialistic possessions makes them enter the vicious cycle of repetitive behaviour again. Self-evaluation and attitude toward self can have a great impact with someone's obsession for buying clothes as they both are linked to a person’s self-concept. The lower the sense of self the higher probability to attach towards materialistic possessions and finding validation from all the external sources. The research aimed to study the relationship of compulsive buying behaviour, materialism, self- evaluation and attitude towards self among college going students. Standardised tools were used to measure compulsive buying behaviour with materialism, self-evaluation, and attitude towards self among college going students. A total sample of 100 (50 males, 50 females) in the age 18-25 years were collected. The results showed that compulsive buying behaviour and attitude towards self, materialism and self-evaluation was negatively correlated.