CONSUMER’S PSYCHOGRAPHIC FACTORS BEHIND ONIOMANIA

Abstract

Oniomania is an abnormal psychological condition characterized by excessive and abnormal buying behavior. Using a psychographic method of investigation, oniomania is explored in relation to consumer’s decision-making process, consumer attitude, values, life styles and preferences. Convenient sampling technique was employed to approach the population under investigation. Data was obtained through interview from N=1160 shopping mall customers from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The interviews addressed buying attitudes and behaviors, their consequences, and the respondent’s financial and demographic data. In order to classify the respondents as either compulsive buyers or not, a clinically validated screening instrument called compulsive buying scale, developed by Valence, d’Astous & Fortier (1998) was supplemented. Respondents include a higher percentage of women and people ages between 17 to 65 years with mean age of 33.5 years. The estimated point prevalence of compulsive buying among respondents was 7.2% (by gender: 4.3% women, 2.9% for men). Prevalence was found higher among women and younger population. Regression analyses revealed that position in family, financial responsibilities, and money management strategies tend to be linked to abnormal buying behavior. Similarly, materialistic attitudes, need for social-identity, and self-fulfilling prophesy were found potentially related to compulsive buying disorder. Negative linear relationship was also observed in age and compulsive buying behavior suggesting that compulsivity seems to decline with the process of aging. This paper is timely for policy leaders both in Pakistan and internationally to control the reins of harmful marketing tactics.