Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 28, 2025

Using a Virtual Store As a Research Tool to Investigate Consumer In-store Behavior
Published on: July 24, 2017
Compulsive shopping: A review and update
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
Abstract:
The author comprehensively reviews compulsive shopping (CS), a disorder characterized by excessive shopping and/or spending that leads to subjective distress and impaired functioning. CS has been linked to substance use disorders, mood, and anxiety disorders, and to the obsessive-compulsive spectrum. More recently, CS has been considered a behavioral addiction. Most CS experts consider CS an independent disorder. CS has an estimated prevalence of 5% in the United States general population with an onset in the late teens/early 20s. Psychiatric comorbidity is common, including mood, anxiety, substance use, and personality disorders. Little is known about its neurobiology and genetics. There are no standard treatments, but cognitive-behavioral group therapy appears promising. Future research should focus on validating the disorder and developing effective treatments.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Self-Discrepancy Theory
Personality Disorders: Dependent and Obsessive-Compulsive
Dependent Personality Disorder
Dependent personality disorder is characterized by an excessive reliance on others to manage various aspects of life. Individuals with this disorder often struggle...
Self-Presentation: Self-Monitoring and Self-Handicapping
Self-Evaluation Maintenance Model
Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification

