Objects, decision considerations and self-image in men's and women's impulse purchases

Area of Science:

• Consumer Psychology
• Social Psychology
• Behavioral Economics

Background:

• Existing economic, marketing, and psychological theories do not fully explain impulse buying behaviors.
• There is a gap in understanding why certain goods are more prone to impulse purchases than others.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and examine a social psychological model of impulse buying.
• To investigate the role of material symbols in identity acquisition through impulse purchases.
• To explore how attitudes towards shopping and social categories like gender influence impulse buying.

Main Methods:

• A questionnaire study was conducted with a sample of 61 British consumers.
• The study tested hypotheses derived from a social constructionist model of material possessions and symbolic self-completion theory.
• Data analysis focused on impulse buying frequency, buying considerations, and self-discrepancies.

Main Results:

• The study found support for all three sets of hypotheses.
• Consumer durables differ in their likelihood of being impulse-bought, with potential gender differences in choices.
• Differences were observed in the functional, emotional, and symbolic considerations for impulse versus planned purchases.

Conclusions:

• Impulse buying is significantly linked to acquiring material symbols for personal and social identity.
• Self-discrepancies and using consumption for self-completion predict impulse buying, particularly in individuals with compulsive shopping tendencies.
• Findings offer implications for economic and consumer theory, and for the treatment of compulsive shoppers.