How Metacognitions Contribute to Compulsive Online Shopping: An Exploratory Study

Compulsive Online Shopping (COS) is considered a technological addiction, characterized by excessive engagement in online shopping behaviors that can cause economic, social, and emotional impairments in an individual's life. Among the theoretical models aimed at conceptualizing addictive behaviors, the metacognitive model has gained increased attention. However, no previous study has investigated the role of metacognitions in COS. The current study was aimed at clarifying the contribution of metacognitions about online shopping as potential mediating variables in the relationship between some well-established psychological correlates (i.e., boredom proneness, impulsivity, materialism, negative affect) and COS.

A sample of 254 participants (mean age = 34.79 ± 11.45; Females = 84.3%) was recruited using convenience sampling.

The hypothesized model produced a good fit to the data and accounted for 48% of COS variance. All the correlates (i.e., boredom proneness, impulsivity, materialism, and negative affect) were significantly and positively associated with Positive Metacognitions About Emotional And Cognitive Regulation, which in turn predicted COS. Boredom proneness and impulsivity were also positively associated with Negative Metacognitions About Uncontrollability And Cognitive Harm of online shopping, which in turn predicted COS. All the indirect effects were significant.

The present findings add to the argument that the metacognitive model of addictive behaviors may applied to the understanding of COS and open the possibility of applying metacognitive techniques to the treatment of COS.