The Relationship Between Compulsive Buying and Hoarding in China: A Multicenter Study

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Behavioral Science
• Cross-cultural Psychology

Background:

• No prior research explored compulsive buying and hoarding correlation in Chinese populations.
• Understanding these behaviors is crucial in diverse economic contexts (emerging vs. developed economies).

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the relationship between compulsive buying and hoarding.
• To validate assessment tools for these behaviors in a Chinese sample.
• To explore cross-cultural applicability of findings.

Main Methods:

• Administered self-report measures: demographic questions, Chinese Hoarding Rating Scale (CHRS), and Richmond Compulsive Buying Scale-Traditional Chinese (RCBS-TC).
• Utilized Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) for scale validation and model fitting.
• Employed Pearson correlation coefficient to assess the relationship between compulsive buying and hoarding.

Main Results:

• RCBS-TC and CHRS demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency and validity.
• A significant positive correlation (r = 0.473) was found between compulsive buying and hoarding.
• 14% of participants exhibited compulsive buying behavior.

Conclusions:

• RCBS-TC and CHRS are reliable and valid measures for assessing compulsive buying and hoarding in Chinese populations.
• The study provides empirical evidence for the link between these behaviors in a cross-cultural Asian context.
• Findings support the applicability of these measures in diverse cultural settings.