Impulse Buying Behavior Among College Students in the Borderlands

8/12/2019 Impulse Buying Behavior Among College Students in the Borderlands

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IMPULSE BUYING BEHAVIOR AMONG COLLEGE

STUDENTS IN THE BORDERLANDS

AMELIE JAQUELINE TREMBLAY

Department of Sociology and Anthropology

APPROVED:

_____________________________S. Fernando Rodriguez, Ph.D. Chair

__________________________Howard Campbell, Ph.D.

___________________________

Osvaldo F. Morera, Ph.D.

___________________________

Gang Lee, Ph.D.

____________________________

Charles H. Ambler, Ph.D.Dean of the Graduate School


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IMPULSE BUYING BEHAVIOR:

IMPULSE BUYING BEHAVIOR AMONG COLLEGE

STUDENTS IN THE BORDERLANDS

By

Amelie J. Tremblay

THESIS

Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of

The University of Texas at El Paso

In Partial Fulfillment

of the requirements

for the degree of

MASTER OF ARTS

Department of Sociology and Anthropology

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO

MAY 2005


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UMI Number: 1430979

1430979

2005

UMI Microform

Copyright

All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against

unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code.

ProQuest Information and Learning Company300 North Zeeb Road

P.O. Box 1346

Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1346

by ProQuest Information and Learning Company.


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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The completion of this thesis has been a road of learning, patience and

dedication. This long path has though me that to success only come with good

time management and organization.

I am deeply grateful to many individuals who provided support and

encouragement during this process. The completion of this degree would not have

been possible without understanding, patience and guidance from my committee

members. A huge thank you to the Chairman of my thesis Dr. S Fernando

Rodriguez for everything! Dr. Rodriguez not only made this thesis possible but is

now also a trusted friend. I would not have made it without his help on day to day

life and problem solving skills.

Thank you Dr. Campbell for opening my mind to another way of thinking.

Cultural anthropology is sure useful on a day to day basis. Thank you Dr. Morera

for sitting down with me all these long hours and especially teaching me all SPSS

has to offer. A special note and thank you for Dr. Lee. Bumps in life only make us

stronger and more appreciative of little things life has to offer. We missed you

this year and out thoughts are with you. Come back strong!

This Masters would have never been possible without the help of family

and friends. A huge thank you to my dad, who 5 years ago, gave me the idea to

come to the United States on a golf scholarship to study a new language and new

culture. I will never be grateful enough to my dad, Bernard, my mom, Louise and

my brother, Renaud who gave me the courage to leave Montreal for an


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opportunity of a lifetime. I also owe the world to the love of my life, Christopher

who has been supportive and so caring since the day we first met at freshman

orientation. Thank you for being there for me all these years and many more to

come. I cant wait for what the future will have to offer us. A special note for my

little kitty, Whistler for her long hours of support for these long hours spent at the

computer staring at me!

Also a big thank you to my in-law family, the Barylas, Paul, Loraine, Grandma

and Amber. I admire your positivism and I am extremely grateful for the kindness

and support you have offered me. Thank you Nellie for being such a great

listener, I had a great time presenting with you at the SSSA Conference in New

Orleans. Lastly, thank you Julianne; you have always been there for me. I admire

your ability to push away negativity in people and also that you are such a strong

woman. You will always be the A golf player!


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.............................................................iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS.................................................................v

LIST OF TABLES...........................................................................viii

I. CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION..................................................1

II. CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF LITERATURE.............................4

What is Impulsive buying?................................................5

Definition of Impulse Buying....6

Empirical Evidence on Impulsive Buying Behavior..........8

Self-Completion Theory....................................................9

Other Factors Contributing to Impulse Buying ................9

Gender...9

Level of Income........................................................10

Credit versus cash.................................................11

Childhood Experiences.........................................12

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder............................13

Additional Attributes of Compulsive Buyers............13

Products usually bought on impulse..15

Summary........................16

III. CHAPTER III: QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS................17

Qualitative research findings.....17


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Methodology........19

Informants................................................... 22

Analysis.................................................................. 22

Conclusion...................................................33.

IV. CHAPTER IV: QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS......... .34

Participants......34

Measures......35

Procedure..37

Results..38

Association Between Products Purchased...39on Impulse and Gender

Association Between Products Purchased....40on Impulse and Ethnicity

Hypothesized Relationship Between Impulse..41Buying and Ethnicity, Gender and Self-Esteem

V. CHAPTER V: DISCUSSION.....................................44

Limitations and future research........46

Qualitative limitations.............46

Quantitative limitations...........48

Future research................49

Conclusion...............................................................49

REFERENCES........................................................51

APPENDIX

A. Time Schedule.......................................................56


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B. Journal of Shopping Trips.....................................57

C. Interview on Shopping Behavior...61

D. Informed Consent..................................................63

E. Student Lifestyle Part I......................................65

F. Student Lifestyle Part II.........................................69

G. Student Lifestyle Part III........................................73

CURRICULUM VITAE................................................................79


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LIST OF TABLES

Table

1.

Participation/Spending by College Students on Entertainment and Leisureactivities

2. Percentage of Products purchased on impulse by gender

3. Percentage of Products purchased on impulse by ethnicity

4. Multiple Regressions Predicting Impulse Buying from Age,Gender, Ethnicity and Self-Esteem


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CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Although the real world awaits college students upon graduation, their

purchasing power during their college years warrants further analysis. In todays

world, average Americans often use this purchasing power to acquire material

goods in attempts to define their image or fulfill certain emptiness in their lives

(Coley and Burgess 2003). A recent study from Harris Polls (2002) points out

that college students spend nearly $200 billion dollars a year in the US (Table 1).

It is therefore important to study this population since in 2000, 34.0% of the 18-24

year old age group was enrolled in college as either undergraduate or graduate

students (U.S Census Bureau, 2000). Today, college students face more

challenges than ever since achieving a higher education requires mental strength,

adaptation, and quick reactions to stress and pressure. Yet, according to the latest

data from Harris Polls (2002), college students have an average of 11 hours a

week of unscheduled time where they are not sleeping, working, studying or

attending class, time that can easily be filled by shopping.


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Table 1

Participation/Spending by College Students on Entertainment

and Leisure Activities

Projected Yearly % of studentsSpending (millions) participating in past year

Vacation Travel $4.607 61%

Purchase Videos/DVDs $2,754 70%(Not including equipment)

Purchase Music CDs, $2,746 76%Tapes, etc.

Purchase Video Games $2,284 37%(Not including equipment)

Purchase reading material $1,009 83%(Not for use in school)

Going to Movies $887 91%

Attending Music Concerts $791 49%

Going to an Amusement $456 41%Park

(Source: Harris Polls 2002)

Previous research on impulse purchases in the United States generally

concludes that college students, particularly Hispanic students, have been under

analyzed. Given the recent growth of the Hispanic population, it should be

thoroughly investigated in order to have a more refined understanding of their

particular impulse-buying proclivities. Without adequate research on the Hispanic

population, now established as the largest minority group in the United States, the

discipline would be missing a significant part of the puzzle. In particular, areas

such as targeted research are further challenged as incomplete or unreliable

information on this population makes it difficult to develop strategies to target this


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particular population.

According to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau (2000), U.S

Hispanics number over 35 million individuals, surpassing African Americans as

the largest minority group. The U.S Hispanic population is also a youthful group,

with over 70% of the population under the age of 35. Hispanic youth, as a

demographic group, has a purchasing power exceeding $100 billion. However, to

date, very little is known about their impulse buying trends.

The purpose of this study is to further our understanding of Hispanic

college students and their current spending habits. Specifically, this study was

carried out by administering a survey asking about students lifestyles to

introductory sociology students at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP).

This may be the first attempt to measure the percentage of students, particularly

Hispanic college students, who can be classified as impulse-buyers. Findings from

this research will allow the researcher to provide ethnic-specific guidance and

recommendation. Other issues addressed include: Do Hispanics differ in their

impulse buying behavior from other race/ethnic groups? What is the target age of

college students who are most likely to impulse buy? How does self-esteem relate

to impulse buying? This research should help explain compulsive buying by using

some of the main variables described in the literature such as age, gender,

ethnicity, and self-esteem.


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CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

The subject of impulsive consumer behavior has been under scrutiny since

the late 1970s. Prior research on compulsive behavior related to consumption has

been spearheaded primarily by a US team and a Canadian team of researchers

(Scherhorn, 1990). The pioneers of these teams are Americans Faber and

OGuinn, as well as Canadians Valence and DAstous (Scherhorn, Reisch and

Raab, 1990). These two groups provide us with insightful information in the

understanding of consumers consumption habits. Both teams confirm that

compulsive shopping tendencies are influenced by environmental and personal

factors (Sherhorn, 1990). Other researchers point out that impulse buying has

increased in the last two decades due to economic and social changes. These

changes include a large increase in disposable income and credit options (Dittmar

and Drury, 1999). Despite the plethora of research on impulsive buying, the

literature discussing college students and their impulse buying behaviors is

minimal. In particular, the impulse buying behavior of Hispanic college students

has never been studied.


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What is impulsive buying?

Impulsive buying is also known as compulsive buying. Researchers tend

to use different terminology to define this activity. One line of research

maintains that compulsive buying can also be called oniomania, buying mania,

compulsive consumption, compulsive shopping, and addictive or impulsive

buying (McElroy, Keck, Pope, Smith and Strakowski, 1994).

Impulsive behavior can also be described as an unplanned, unregulated or

spontaneous behavior. For example, impulse purchasing involves getting a sudden

urge to buy something without having any intention to buy the item upon entering

the store (Baumeister, 2002). There are many factors, which can lead to

unplanned purchases and impulsive behavior such as high anxiety levels and lack

of self-control (Dittmar, Beattie and Friese 1995a). Unplanned purchases are more

likely to occur when a consumer is unfamiliar with the stores layout or under

time constraints (Shoham, Brencic, 2003). Since the consumer might spend more

time looking through the store, he will be less likely to impulse buy.

The impetus for impulse purchases is important from both the viewpoint

of the individual and the marketing industry. At least one study has demonstrated

that impulsive purchases represent as much as 50% of all mall spending (Dittmar,

Beattie and Friese, 1995a). Dittmar, Beattie and Friese (1995b) also proposed that

impulse behavior is growing in significance. In addition, one of the pioneers on

impulse buying research, DAstous (1990), suggests that the actions of impulse

buying and becoming a compulsive buyer are gradual. Research suggests that the

short-term benefit of compulsive behavior has to be weighed against the long-


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term negative consequences of compulsive behavior (Elliot, 1994).

Bellenger, Robertson and Hirschman (1978) further break down impulse

behavior into four specific categories. These social researchers conclude that the

four categories of impulse buying are: (1) Pure impulse buying, where the

individual had no intention of buying the item; (2) reminder impulse buying,

where the individual spontaneously decides to purchase an item based on a prior

experience or recollection; (3) suggestion impulse buying, when an individual

sees the product on the shelves and decides to purchase it; and (4) planned

impulse buying, where the individual goes to a store with intended purchases but

also considers making other purchases (Bellenger, Robertson and Hirshman,

1978). Most studies on impulse behavior agree that those individuals who make

impulse purchases lack self-control (Faber, OGuinn, 1989). Where there is an

imbalance in their life, even extremely small, these individuals lean toward

impulsive buying.

Definition of Impulse Buying

Researchers attempt to explain the patterns found among impulse

purchasers. For the most part, shoppers agree that impulse purchases are

unplanned and not regulated before entering a store. Impulse purchases can be

explained as a sudden urge to buy something, without any intention or plan, then

acting on that impulse without considering long-term goals, ideals, or plans

(Baumeister, 2002). Research by Jones, Reynolds, Weun and Beatty (2003)

argues that an impulse shopper experiences an immediate gratification upon


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purchasing items. Consumers utilizing cognition will be more likely to make

rational purchases, decisions, and make fewer impulse purchases; consumers who

are more emotional will be more likely to make impulsive purchases (Coley and

Burgess, 2003).

Time pressure is another important factor that is related to impulse

purchasing. Iyer (1989) found that in time constraints, individuals processing

modes will differ from when the consumer has unlimited time to spend and shop

in a particular store (Iyer, 1989). A consumer will be more likely to make an

impulse purchase in a restricted time limit than in an unlimited time limit.

Impulsive behavior also seems to be an unconditional act despite lack of

credit or wealth. As a matter of fact, individuals seem to act on impulse no matter

the size or cost of the purchase. One researcher even mentioned that consumers

would act on impulse even if they had a gun held to their head (Baumeister,

2002). That is, some consumers will buy compulsively independent of their

financial situation.

Arnold and Reynolds (2003) divide shopping in six separate categories.

The first category is described as adventure shopping, in which people shop for

entertainment, adventure, and stimulation. The second category is social

shopping, where individuals shop for socialization and bonding with others. The

third category, gratification shopping, is described as shopping for stress relief.

The author uses the term special treat in order to further describe this category.

The fourth category is idea shopping where shoppers like to be up-to-date with


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new trends and innovations. The fifth category is role shopping, where shoppers

get satisfaction by shopping for others. The final category is value shopping,

which refers to the enjoyment the consumer receives by buying material objects

because of their good value.

Empirical Evidence on Impulsive Buying Behavior

Although shopping is socially accepted as a hobby, it can also have

dangerous consequences. Compulsive buying can lead to serious problems and

financial burdens such as debt and bankruptcy (Friese, Koenig, 1993); it may also

decrease ones emotional stability, creating an increase in family, relationship,

and career stress (Schlosser, Steven, Black, Repertinger, Freet, 1994). One

researcher describes addictive buying as a behavior that runs out of control due to

an overpowering motive, which is controlled by negative pressure to make the

purchase (Scherhorn, 1990). Scherhorn (1990) explains that an addictive

experience taken into an individuals conscience can further pain, tension, and

anxiety in the persons life.

Self-Completion Theory

Impulsive behavior has been explained by one specific theory. The Self-

Completion Theory has helped to explain the social psychological aspect of the

impulsive behavior (Dittmar, Beattie and Friese, 1995a). The Self-Completion

Theory argues that when an individual experiences more self-control, the

individual will be less likely to make impulse purchases. Conversely, when the


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individual either lacks or loses his self-control, he or she is more likely to impulse

purchase (Dittmar, Beattie and Friese, 1995a). In a later paper, Dittmar, Beattie

and Friese (1995b) expand on this theory by suggesting that emotional feelings at

the point of purchase are different from later emotions (Dittmar, Beattie and

Friese, 1995b). This assumption would explain why material objects in impulse

buying might create a quick feeling of joy and fulfillment that will probably be

short-lived.

Other Factors Contributing to Impulse Buying Behaviors

Gender

General literature on this topic seems to agree that men and women

respond differently to impulse purchases. Dittmar, Beattie and Friese (1995a),

found that women bought material objects on impulse for sentimental value while

men bought items for their leisure activities (Dittmar, Beattie and Friese, 1995a).

Regarding men, research has found that men are more likely to make

impulse purchases of high-tech, electronic, and sports equipment. Women tend to

buy material objects such as clothes, jewelry, and cosmetics on impulse (Dittmar,

Beattie and Friese, 1995b). Several studies emphasize that women are more likely

to be impulse buyers (Shoham, Brencic, 2003). Sherhorn, Reisch et al. (1990)

propose that women seem to cope with stress and other strains internally. When

women are stressed, they tend to make impulse purchases, thus they try to solve

their problems secretly; in addition their culture leads them to Shopaholism

(Coley, Burgess, 2003). They propose that buying material objects can remain a


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secret hobby and that it is socially accepted by our society; therefore this would

explain why women tend to turn their problems into compulsive shopping.

Sherhorn, Reisch et al (1990) add that shopping is part of the housewifes job

description and can therefore be socially justifiable. Elliot (1994) suggested that

for some women, shopping might help repair a persons mood in a more

acceptable manner than tranquilizers.

Level of income

Money is discussed on a daily basis in our society. It is a powerful

influence on the behavior of our society but there has not been any research

quantifying its effects (Hanley, Wilhelm, 1990). Faber, Thomas and O Guinn

(1988) explain that television portrays a perfect world to the public. Faber,

Thomas and O Guinn (1989) argue that the characters are usually cast in affluent

positions, making the public envy them. The result of this casting leads to

unhappiness because the general public thinks that the characters portray an

achievable reality.

Credit versus cash

As was previously mentioned, impulse buying is described as a sudden

urge to buy. While some researchers find no direct relationship between

disposable income and impulsive buying, Sherhorn, Reisch et al. (1990) argue

that income plays an important role in how long the compulsive buyer can hide

their problem.


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A study on credit abuse explains that within the overall amount of

consumer debt, there are a great number of individuals who cannot reimburse

their debt (Faber, Thomas and OGuinn, 1988). Faber Thomas and OGuinn

(1988) further mention that television portrays a world of wealth and fame, which

is desirable to the general public; the study explains the high debt caused by

television and the media and with the ease of getting credit cards, and it shows

that it has become extremely simple for individuals to spend money they simply

do not have.

Childhood Experience

The way a child was raised might also influence their beliefs, values and

behavior in the adult phase. Childhood family experiences and ways to solve

family problems differ in every family depending on the family structure (Friese,

Koenig, 1993). DAstous (1990) suggests that impulsive buying tendencies may

come from peoples early consumption experiences. DAstous (1990) links this to

individuals who, when they were young, could not help but immediately spend

the money they had in their pockets. Another consistent trait among impulsive

shoppers is that in many cases, as children, their parents satisfied their every

whimsical request. However, other studies suggest the inverse; that strict

parenting may also be implicated in the gradual unraveling of a compulsive

consumer (Elliot 1994).


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Some researchers emphasize the adolescent phase as being an influential

part of life in which friends play an important role in an adolescents consumption

purchases (DAstous, Maltais and Roberge, 1990). DAstous, Maltais and

Roberge (1990) also found that these adolescents were extremely generous with

their friends and in fact enjoyed buying gifts for their friends for no particular

reason but to please them or make them happy.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Mental disorders may also be correlated to compulsive behavior such as

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. A study suggests that a selected group of

compulsive consumers scored higher on a general test of Obsessive Compulsive

Disorder (Faber, Thomas and OGuinn, 1988). Another study by Scherhorn,

Reisch and Raab (1990) finds that the addictive consumers scored significantly

higher on a specific test of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder than did normal

consumers.

Additional attributes of compulsive buyers

According to Sherhorn, Reish and Raab (1990), buying any material

object gives the consumer a feeling of being in control as though they are in a

position of authority. All researchers in the subject of impulse buying seem to

come to the same conclusion that people will always try to obtain a stable life.


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Faber, Thomas and OGuinn (1988) suggest that compulsive consumers are

driven to consume and cannot control their behavior of buying material objects in

order to escape problems. They want to exercise, have balanced relationships, eat

healthy, and generally be successful.

Impulsive behavior generally arises from the same circumstances; when

people are generally upset they eat unhealthy or experience less self-control,

which may lead to impulsive behavior (Baumeister, 2002). Anxiety seems to play

an important role in symptoms of impulsive behavior. Valence, DAstous and

Fortier (1988) argue that anxiety provokes a spontaneous internal action, leading

the consumer to seek a solution to help calm the anxiety. Anxiety could thus be a

leading contributor to impulsive consumption.

Similarly, DAstous, Maltais and Roberge (1990) found that compulsive

consumers are more likely to be materialistic; they are also more likely to have a

family with compulsive behavior such as alcoholism, toxicomania or bulimia,

lack in self-esteem and impulsive shopping (DAstous, 1990). Other attributes,

such as deviant behavior or circumstances, can also occur in compulsive behavior.

At least one study links the possibility that impulsive buying behavior is related to

compulsive gambling, toxicomania and bulimia (DAstous, 1990). Valence,

DAstous and Fortier (1988) also propose that other compulsive behaviors such as

gambling and eating disorders offer a certain explanation to impulsive behavior.

Ones social self-esteem seems to also play an important role in impulsive

buying (Elliot, 1994). A qualitative study indicates that individuals want to

perceive themselves differently than they are in reality (Elliot, 1994). Other


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studies also suggest that impulsive consumers hide their impulsive tendencies in

order to maintain a non-deviant image within society (Valence, DAstous, and

Fortier, 1988).

Coley and Burgess (2003) suggest that impulsive shoppers may be

influenced more by their emotions than by their cognitive state over purchasing an

item. Coley and Burgess (2003) further emphasize that even though individuals

might know that they do not need that particular item, they will still purchase it on

impulse because their feelings are stronger than their knowledge at the moment of

impulse. In regards to the Coley and Burgess (2003) researchs finding, we could

perhaps compare the effects of impulse buying to love in which some individuals

stay in unhealthy relationships and suffer tremendously.

Products usually bought on impulse

There appears to be many possible variables that will influence consumers

to purchase on impulse. Previous research finds that particular goods are more

likely to be bought on impulse (Dittmar, Beattie and Friese, 1995b). In addition,

certain variables, such as social environment, packaging of a product, nice smell,

attractive colors or pleasant atmosphere, could lead a consumer toward impulse

buying (Verplanken, Herabadi, 2001). A study by Sherhorn, Reish and Raab

(1990) suggests that certain types of material objects are bought on impulse more

than others. Their study cites clothing, books, groceries, arts, cosmetics, electrical

appliances, expensive gifts for other people, and sports equipment as items

commonly purchased on impulse. Prior research also demonstrates that shoppers


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will usually change their specialization or type of impulse buying behavior over

time (Sherhorn, Reish and Raab, 1990).

Summary

The subject of impulsive buying has been studied since the late 1980s

mainly by two teams; one team is Canadian and one is American. The Self-

Completion Theory and the general literature on impulsive purchasing provide the

foundation for understanding purchasing power of college students in 2004.

Looking back, we can observe that some main variables such as gender, credit,

money, childhood experiences and obsessive-compulsive disorder can help

explain the high rates of impulse purchases among college students in America.


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CHAPTER III

QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS

The current study was conducted in two separate phases. In the first phase,

students were first asked to complete an auto-ethnography in the form of a journal

of their spending protocol (APPENDIX B). This research was first explored by

Jones et al.(2003). The journal was completed over a period of two weeks. This

idea was later dropped because of the quality of answers that were given by the

students; the majority of students did not take the time to fill out the journal

appropriately, yielding few answers that could be used in the study. This exercise

did not help explain compulsive behavior or any of the attributes of compulsive

buying. The first phase of the study is explained in the second part of the methods

chapter. The second part of the analysis was strictly quantitative and will be

discussed in detail in chapter IV.

Qualitative research findings

For the purpose of this fieldwork study, I sought to investigate and gain an

understanding of the actions and reactions of shoppers and customers views,

behavior and values toward shopping, as well as impulse purchases. An additional

goal was to observe shopping behavior in different cultures, primarily the

Hispanic culture. I will describe the findings of the shopping behavior and

impulsive shopping from the interview process.

I have always been fascinated by consumer behavior and have always had

a certain interest in understanding consumers motives and intentions to buy


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products. This fieldwork study helped me answer many questions I had consumer

behavior. Many of my colleagues and professors had suggested that I do the study

at UTEP since it included such a rich population of Hispanic students; I thought it

was a great idea, knowing that the Hispanic population had never been studied in

regards to compulsive buying. On the other hand, I also wanted to incorporate

other ethnic groups in my study and be able to draw a comparison between my

informants. It was important for me to first learn specific behavior patterns

associated with cultures and to answer the question Are there any behavioral

differences between cultures when it comes to shopping and compulsive buying?

My first step was to find a way to accomplish my purpose most

effectively. I thought that interviews would be the best way to get some of my

questions answered. I decided to seek and discover these patterns through one on

one interviews with the students at UTEP (APPENDIX C). These students were

enrolled in one of the Introduction to Sociology classes. Interviews were

conducted over a three-week period in the department of sociology. By

conducting these one on one interviews, I was attempting to further probe about

modes of shopping among college students and further understand the reasoning

behind certain behaviors. The interviews helped me clarify my understanding of

the buying behavior of college students as well as their general behavior in stores.

From a marketing research standpoint, this research has the potential for

providing tools for positioning certain products and targeting specific products to

college students across America. This research will also provide answers to

marketing researchers about different values and shopping behavior among


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college students within their different cultures. My main interests in college have

always been linked to consumer behavior, where I discovered the topic of impulse

buying. I then found myself committed to the subject for my research thesis in my

Masters program.

Methodology

One previous study by Jones et al. (2003) guided my research. These

researchers had individuals keep a journal of items they bought as well as in

which store they made their purchases, how much time they spent in the store, and

how they were feeling that day. Each of these questions was to be answered in

complete sentences. The subjects also had to indicate if they had intended to buy

the product prior to their shopping trip and if the product was on sale.

The subjects kept a journal during all their shopping trips for the duration

of a month (APPENDIX B). Jones et al. (2003) then collected the journals and

made an interpretation of the subjects responses. For the purpose of my

advancement in the understanding of impulse behavior, I first thought that a

comprehensive approach was absent from their research method and compilation

of data. It did not take into account how busy students are, not only with school,

work and family, but also with other activities such as shopping. Although I

personally disagreed with much of their methodology, I still went ahead and

decided to test their methods myself. The way Jones et al. (2003) described his

research the subjects did not have much leeway in the purchase descriptions, and

also the commitment of the participants to keep records of items purchased was


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questionable.

I first included a similar journal entry process. I then wanted to meet with

my subjects to confirm their answers and their train of thought. This method of

research was intriguing. I attempted the journal entry process on 14 subjects.

This was an example of auto ethnography where the students would be able to

express themselves in a semi-structured way. I selected students who wanted to

contribute to my research. I would randomly ask individuals who were students at

The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). Students who participated

demonstrated a high level of willingness to participate in the research. Their part

was voluntary and no rewards or payment were given.

The subjects were asked to keep a structured journal entry of their

purchases for a period of two consecutive weeks. They were to complete specific

questions such as the store at which they had made their purchases, the time spent

in the store, and their emotional state at the times of their shopping trips. They

had many spaces and opportunities to describe their shopping trips. Half a page of

extra observations and questions were also included in the journal in order to

leave more freedom for interpretation. I felt a strong disappointment when the

journals were returned to me at the end of the two-week period. The journal

entries were extremely short, usually consisting of two sentences or less. I quickly

decided to drop this idea because I did not feel that it sufficiently addressed the

way students shop, why they buy what they buy, and what attracts them to

certain stores.


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My second idea was to conduct one on one interview with college students

in order to learn more about their shopping behavior.

The students were first informed of my research project at the end of a

class period. I was brief in my description of the project and informed them that

the research was for students who loved to shop. I wanted to keep my explanation

simple so that the students would not draw any trepidation from this. Students

were informed they would then receive two extra points for the class for

participating, two points out of a possible one hundred and three points. The

professor and I decided on this reward in order to attract participants and possible

impulse buyers. These two points were to replace one of the campus events the

students had to attend during the semester. There were a total of fifty-eight

students who signed up for the interview. A total of fifty-one interviews were

conducted during my fieldwork. My sample was composed of thirty-six females

and fifteen males. The interviews lasted anywhere from thirty minutes to an hour,

depending on the willingness of my informants to discuss various matters. The

fifty-one interviews were all conducted in a two-week period during the last week

of February and the first week of March.

Informants

The sample in this research was diversified. Personally, it would have

been ideal to have more males participate in the study in order to have a better

ratio of males to females. Some informants were extremely cooperative; they

were willing to answer most of my questions and go into greater depth in some


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areas of my research. I wanted to conduct an interview that would allow me to ask

structured questions, then deviate into deeper subjects, and finally ask other

questions according to some of the information that some of my informants would

give me. To my surprise, many informants were more than willing to share

stories, emotions, and behavioral patterns with me. Many questions that were

asked of my informants would often lead to interesting and rich conversations.

The interviews were all tape recorded so that I could go back and recreate the rich

moments of the interview.

Analysis

The large number of interviews allowed me to observe particular patterns

within the participants responses. The interviews were strategically structured in

order to first put the informants in a more comfortable environment. The first set

of questions in the interview just informed and directed the informant about the

subject, and was intended to make them comfortable with the researcher. I asked

them to explain what they enjoyed about shopping, the downfalls they had

encountered, and how it made them feel. To my surprise, however, these

questions actually made some of my informants nervous, hyperactive, and

anxious. Here are some quotes from some of them; all names are fabricated in

order to protect the identity of the respondents.


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Sarah

I love to shop, its my favorite thing to do but I hate going shopping at night

because of all the crowds. I go shopping early in the day when I know that no one

will be there to judge me or stare at me. I just hate people, they just stare at me

like if I should not be there or like if I am too fat to try on these clothes.

Samantha

Shopping is my passion; its basically my only leisure activity. Just the thought

of associating it with money, it just fucking stresses me. Like why do we even

have to pay for material stuff, we should just get an allowance from the

government.

Hallie

Shopping is just what I do, if I want to buy things, Ill do it no matter what.

Although this introduction of the questionnaire was first written with the

intention of creating an atmosphere where the informants were comfortable with

me, to my surprise I had already created discomfort in some cases. I was a little

puzzled by the outcome of the situation but I was also excited to get such strong

responses.

My next few questions asked the informants to talk about themselves and


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describe some characteristics of their personalities. I noted that there was an

alarmingly high percentage of informants that appeared to be under extreme stress

and had a dangerous anxiety level. Many of them also explained how they tended

to worry a lot. Three informants gave me exactly the same response when

discussing their personalities and what it entailed.

These three informants were a Caucasian female, a Hispanic female and a

Caucasian male. They explained that they worried a lot, up to a point where they

could not concentrate during the day on basic tasks or sleep at night. In addition,

they also felt like they could not share this problem with others, or at least with

the people that they were close to. They did not want their friends and family to

experience their pain with them.

Other dimensions of their personality were also discussed. These three

informants all told me that they felt it necessary to hide many things from friends

and families, not just simple emotions. They shared with me some small events,

or even bigger moments in their lives, which they did not feel they could share

with anybody. Their main hidden characteristics were all negative emotions; they

would tell me in a simplistic way that it was the way they had preceded through

their entire life and the way they were most comfortable.

The next set of questions focused on how people and society behave with

money. More than 90% of my informants believed strongly that it was a good

idea for people to save money, at least for a small emergency such as a car

problem or a family emergency. Many of them also explained that living day-by-

day was crucial for them and that they did not want to start saving money for


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bigger things such as a house or for starting a family. These informants

recognized that their next step in life would probably include buying a house and

raising a family, but they did not feel that they should have to invest in it or even

think about it right now. This response could have been related to the fact that the

informants were randomly selected from an introductory class, meaning that they

were probably at an early stage of their adult lives. At this point I began to

understand the reality of some college students. Many of them shared with me

that they were already in debt and were extremely nervous just thinking about it.

One of my informants mentioned:

Nathan

I just bought so much shit after shit, I have no clue why and now I have

to deal with all the trouble that comes with it, I have no money at all.

One good aspect of some of their responses is that college consumers

seem to be capable of differentiating right from wrong. For the most part, my

informants seemed to understand the importance of saving money. On the other

hand, some of my informants did not seem too concerned with personally saving

money.

Another observation was that many of my informants still lived at home

with their parents and/or grandparents. I had an interesting conversation with

Anna, one of my best informants, about her spending situation and her living

situation. She explained that she always felt secure at home, in part because she


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did not have to pay any of the housing or food bills. Anna also knew that she

always had people behind her to help her if she needed anything. She described

her family as well off. She told me that she and her sister had never been raised in

luxury, but she mentioned that she had everything she wanted. She does not have

the stress to pay for bills or worry about getting them paid on time.

Another part of my interviews required that I initiate a conversation

regarding their actual shopping behavior. One of my questions looked at shopping

and happiness. I would question my informants as to whether they would buy

specific products that would make them happy or if they would buy varied

products for themselves to make them happy. I was amazed at the material

products and the clothing items my informants would name, and their answers

were for the most part all spontaneous. These questions confirmed the general

literature on impulse purchasing. For the most part, my male subjects seemed to

be more oriented towards their finances and leisure activities when it came to

buying something to make them happy.

Vincent

When I have a bad day, I go to the sports club in Juarez. There I gamble and

drink and there are not all these annoying women like at the bar. It makes me feel

better after a while but sometimes it costs me a shit load.

Other male informants spoke to me about their cars and how important it

was to always upgrade them. They liked to buy new auto parts or new equipment.


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Their cars were important to them and that was just what would make them

happy. My female informants bought many different things to make themselves

happy. My female informants, for the most part, also confirmed the general

literature. The general literature on impulse purchases mentions that women are

more likely to buy on an emotional basis (Dittmar, Beattie and Friese, 1995a).

Many of my female informants would buy specific material objects on impulse

that would hopefully enhance their appearance or give them comfort emotionally

in some way. On the other hand, I disagree with the statements from some of

these researches. I sometimes felt like these researchers were trying to group

people in specific class divisions. I occasionally thought that some of the

researchers were trying to make assumptions on categorizing people. For

example, some researchers would correlate compulsive shopping with mental

disabilities such as eating disorders and anxiety disorders. Therefore, I think it

will be important to revise these statements and try to understand certain decision-

making processes on a greater level.

Florence:

I love to buy handbags, I dont know why but I own so many of them, I just buy

them, it makes me happy.

Many of my female informants, just as the males, seemed to have particular

products that made them happy or at least provided them with temporary comfort.

Many of my female informants owned unimaginable quantities of makeup and


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could not explain why they had bought so much of it. Other females seemed to be

more oriented towards clothes. All of them disclosed that they have an enormous

quantity of shirts or any sort of tops but that they always tried to buy a limited

amount of pants or bottoms.

Ivanka:

I love to buy tops. Even when I gain weight, I still fit in most all my tops. Pants

just stress me out. When you buy a top its like medium or large but pants are just

so stressful, I hate to try them on. Pants are like size 8-10-12-14 I mean you

gain five pounds and your pants are really tight They should change that and I

would buy more.

By this point in the interview, many of my informants looked stressed or even

panicked. I thought that some of them would even tell me to stop the interview

because they looked really uncomfortable with our conversation. Many of my

informants thought that the interview process would entail only discussing

shopping. The deeper into the interview, the more some of them would stop our

conversation and add some comments. They would tell me that what I was asking

them makes sense. Many of my informants could associate some of the

questions with compulsive buying. I guess as an investigator, it is possible to take

this in many different ways. At this point, I was grateful that they were still

talking to me about specific aspects of their lives.

The next phase of the interview addressed the subject of credit cards and


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their personal credit card habits. Due to their young age, many of my informants

had in their possessions credit cards that were not theirs. For the most part, the

monthly bills would go directly to their parents. Some of the informants feared the

day their credit card bills would arrive at the house while others did not care

because their parents had never mentioned anything. One of the questions focused

on how people used credit cards and how they perceived them. I did not observe

cultural or gender differences in credit card use based on the qualitative

interviews. My informants all had different ways in which they perceived the best

use of a credit card. Some of them generally feared them.

Miles:

I saw how my parents used credit cards when I was younger and promised

myself to never do the same thing. They did not care; they had so many credit

cards I never wanted to count how many, but it was scary. Now were paying for

it We used to have a comfortable lifestyle and now I just dont want to end

up like them. Im only 24 you know so Im just building my life up now.

For the purpose of this research, it was important to understand the

different perceptions my informants had of paying with cash versus paying with a

credit card. There again I got all types of answers, and I was amazed how some

people viewed credit cards versus cash differently. For some of my informants,

credits cards were extremely stressful. If they put something on a credit card they

would stress the entire month about it. They were scared that something dramatic


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was going to happen or that they somehow would not be able to pay their

minimum payment at the end of the month. Some of my informants believed that

they should pay the entire credit bill every month. Other people preferred paying

the minimum balances even though they knew they would end up paying more at

the end.

Sarah:

Paying with cash is so stressful, I just see the money coming out of my wallet

and I know its gone forever. I know my credit card will always be there, I just

give it to the cashier and I get what I want, how simple is that.

Sarah:

The other day was just such a bad day. Everyone was giving me a hard time so I

decided to go to the mall to buy some things and relieve my stress. I picked up a

bunch of random crap and I just felt relieved. But then I opened my wallet and I

did not have my credit card with me. I cant explain how I felt but its like if my

heart stopped. I needed these things now and I could not have it, it just made me

panicked.

In this part of our interview Sarah was extremely emotional. Her face even

turned red. I did not really know if she was nervous or ashamed or if she was

having an anxiety attack. Tape recorders are extremely useful, but I just wish that

I could have had a video camera during the process of my conversations with


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many of my informants. Their facial expressions, the changing colors of their

skin, and especially their changing tones of voice were indescribable.

The next set of questions referred to my informants childhood but did not

necessarily go into details in this part of our interview. There is not much

literature linking childhood experiences to shopping or impulse shopping. The

literature is extremely limited, and I admit to being just as brief for this interview.

In further research, I will be sure to add more questions about childhood

experiences and link it to the science of shopping.

I had short conversations relating to how my informants felt when they

were kids. I would ask them if they felt like they had everything they needed and

wanted as children. Many of my informants told me that their parents were never

there for them when they were younger. They told me that whenever they would

go to stores with their parents, mommy or daddy would never buy them what they

wanted. Now they feel like they were somewhat deprived as children. As they

grew older they realized they had more control with money and with their

material possessions. Most of my informants were surprised that this information

began to clear up perceptions they had of themselves. I would sometimes question

these responses, but I observed that many of these informants who often felt

deprived as children now have problematic spending behavior.

Conclusion

Coming from a quantitative background in the business department at

UTEP, this research has helped me answer many questions relating to impulse


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buying behaviors. The literature I read for the purpose of this fieldwork while not

extensive still provided important knowledge needed to investigate and test this

research on my own. I am happy to observe that everything I have read so far on

shopping behavior, impulsive behavior, and compulsive behavior was largely

supported by my one-on-one interviews. The lack of observed differences both

across race/ethnicity as well as gender were the impetus for the quantitative

portion of this work.


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CHAPTER IV

QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS

For this part of the study, students completed a survey, which included

three separate scales to measure impulse buying, type of shopping and level of

self-esteem. This chapter is divided into following sections: (1) participants, (2)

measures, and (3) procedures. The second phase is discussed in this present

chapter.

Participants

A survey was administered to students at The University of Texas at El

Paso (UTEP). UTEP has a high population of Hispanic students and, given that

this is the target population for the study, it was an ideal setting. Therefore, the

study aimed at testing the following hypotheses:

H1: Compared to Hispanics, the Anglo/Caucasian population will score higher

on the compulsive buying scale

H2: Compared to males, females will score higher on the compulsive buying scale

H3: Individuals with lower self-esteem will have higher impulse buying scoresthan those which higher self-esteem scores.

Findings from this research should to provide ethnic-specific guidance

and/or recommendations for this problem. Participants were students at UTEP in

the Introductory Sociology (1301) classes registered in the fall 2004 semester.

The participants were 18 years or older. Students under 18 years of age were not


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allowed to participate in the survey due to lack of parental permission as per

Institutional Research Boards guidelines. Surveys were conducted during class

after explaining the purpose of the research and having each participating student

sign an Informed Consent Form. The sample was made up of both male and

female participants. In addition, participants were solicited from a variety of

nationalities and ethnicities.

Measures

In an attempt to further understand impulse purchasing among college

students, the present study used a survey method in order to develop measures

specifically geared to the population of interest. Specifically, open-ended and

multiple-choice surveys were administered. The first part of the survey is called

Student Lifestyle Survey Part I (APPENDIX E). Gilles Valence and Alain

DAstous developed this scale in 1988. This scale is a continuous measure of

compulsive buying and includes 13 statements, which can be summed up to

derive a measure of compulsive buying. The four basic dimensions of compulsive

buying include: tendency to spend (statements 5-6-13-14-15-16), reactive aspect

(statements 7-8-9-12), and post-purchase guilt (statements 10-11-17).1 The

continuous measure of Compulsive Buying Scale has demonstrated high internal

validity (= .89).

The first part of the questionnaire included some demographic questions,

1The authors also proposed these additional items that constitute family environment. Valence et al. (1998)

do not include these items. Therefore, these items were excluded in the present study.


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which were added in order to test our hypotheses (APPENDIX E). There are a

total of four questions regarding age, gender, marital status and race/ethnicity.

Part I question 21 was also added to survey Life Style Part I. This question was

added in order to further understand the impulsive gender-specific buying pattern.

This question emerged after conducting interviews in the qualitative portion of the

study.

Mark Arnold and Kristy E. Reynolds developed the second scale in 2003

and I then named it Student Lifestyle Survey Part II (APPENDIX F). This scale

was first intended to calculate the level of motivational shopping within

individuals. It is made up of twenty-three statements, which analyze adventure

shopping; value shopping; role shopping; idea shopping; social shopping; and

gratification shopping (see explanation of the various types of shopping on page

7-8). This scale has an alpha of .77 to .87 (Arnold, Reynolds, 2003) but was later

dropped in the study because it did not address the study answer the hypotheses.

In addition, The Rosenberg Self-Esteem (SE) measure Rosenberg (1979)

was administered. The SE Scale (1979) was named Student Life Style Part III and

appears in appendix G. The Rosenberg SE Scale (1979) is a 10-item Guttman

Scale. This scale was developed with the intent of determining an individuals

level of self-esteem. Scale item I is compiled from the responses to items 3, 7 and

9. If the respondent answers two out of three or three out of three positively, he

receives a positive score for Scale item I. Scale item II is compiled from the

responses of items 4 and 5. One out of two, or two out of two positive responses

are considered positive for scale item II. Scale items III, IV and V are scored


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positively or negatively to items 1, 8 and 10. Scale item VI is compiled from the

responses to items 2 and 6. One out of two, or two out of two positive responses

are considered positive. In order to score the 10 items, a value was assigned to

each of them. For items 1-2-4-6-7: Strongly Agree=3, Agree=2, Disagree=1, and

Strongly Disagree=0. For items 3-5-8-9-10, which are reversed in Valence:

Strongly Agree=0, Agree=1, Disagree=2, and Strongly Disagree=3. This scale has

an alpha of .77 to .88 (Rosenberg, 1979). The Compulsive Buying scale is a

continuous measure of compulsive buying in regards to students. An additional

scale was also used in order to define the students level of self-esteem. This was

used to determine whether a correlation existed between students of different

ethnicity and gender, gender. I was also used to determine the effect of self-

esteem to the effect on compulsive behavior.

Procedure

Prior to data collection, the survey was described briefly at the beginning

of class. The students were told that on a voluntarily basis, they could participate

in a survey of student lifestyle which addressed the subject of shopping. Students

who participated in the survey were also offered a 2-point increase in their final

grade. Students received a package with an Informed Consent Form; a description

of the survey as well as contact numbers of the researcher was included in the

Informed Consent form. All participants signed an Informed Consent Form

(APPENDIX B) prior to participation, which outlined their rights.


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Results

The first step of the analysis was to test the reliabilityof the Compulsive

Buying Scale (Valence et al.1998). For the purpose of this research, the

Continuous measure of the compulsive buying scale was introduced as Student

Lifestyle Part #1. The reliability of this scale was 0.86 (95% confidence interval:

.82, .89). Valence et al. (1988) reported a measure of internal consistency of 0.88;

their point estimate of reliability falls in the observed confidence interval and does

not statistically differ from the obtained reliability estimate.

In addition, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem (SE) measure was administered.

For the purpose of this research, the SE measure also demonstrated acceptable

reliability, with a Cronbach () =.81 and replicated other studies (Blascovish and

Tomaka, 1993).


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Association between products purchased on impulse and gender

The second step of the analysis was to test a question which had emerged

during an earlier investigation of qualitative interviews. The question was found

in Student Life Style Part 1 as question 21. The question asked participants to

check if they had purchased various types of products on impulse. These types of

products were: a) Clothing, b) Jewelry, c) Accessories and d) Entertainment

(CD/DVD etc). If the student checked one of the four above-mentioned

categories, the student had purchased the item on impulse. Cross-tabulations were

performed to assess the relationship between gender and impulse buying. As can

be seen in Table 2, women were more likely to purchase clothing, jewelry and

accessories on impulse. Men were more likely to purchase entertainment products

on impulse.

Table 2

Percentage of Products Purchased on Impulse by Gender

Men Women Chi-Square Statistic

Clothing 45.2%(n=95) 64.4%(n=87) 2 (1)= 6.69, p=0.01

Jewelry 44.2%(n=95) 67% (n=87) 2(1)= 9.25, p=0.002

Accessories 13.7%(n=95) 26.4%(n=87) 2(1)= 4.65, p=0.031

Entertainment 44.2%(n=95) 26.4% (n=87 2(1)= 6.25, p=0.012

Note: Sample size is in parenthesis


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Association between products purchased on impulse and ethnicity

Crosstabulations were also performed with regards to ethnicity and

products purchased on impulse. In these analyses, the three Asian Americans

were not included due to small sample size. Of the products purchased on

impulse, ethnicity was statistically related to clothing purchased on impulse. As

can be seen in Table 3, 81% African Americans reported purchasing clothing on

impulse. Mexican Nationals, Hispanic Americans and Caucasian each reported

overall lower percentage of impulse buying. With respect to buying jewelry,

accessories, or entertainment on impulse, ethnicity was not associated with

impulse buying behavior.

Table 3

Percentage of Products Purchased on Impulse by Ethnicity

African-American Mexican National Mexican American Caucasian America Chi-Square Statistic

Clothing 81.3%(n=16) 66.7%(n=12) 50.3%(n=127) 48%(n=27) 2

(3)=6.33,p=0.09

Jewelry 75%(n=16) 75%(n=12) 52%(n=127) 14.8%(n=27) 2(3)=5.51,p=0.09

Accessories 31.3%(n=16) 16.7%(n=12) 14.8%(n=127) 14.8%(n=27) 2(3)=1.82,p=0.61

Entertainment 43.8%(n=16) 25%(n=12) 33.9%(n=127) 44.4%(n=27) 2 (3)=2.14,p=0.54

Note: Sample Size is in parenthesis


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Hypothesized Relationship between Impulse Buying and Ethnicity, Gender and

Self-Esteem

In order to test the three hypotheses, a hierarchical regression was

performed. In the first step of the regression age was entered as a predictor. In the

second step of the regression ethnicity and gender were entered as predictors.

Entering these variables allowed for the assessment of the hypothesized

relationship between ethnicity and impulse buying (Hypothesis 1) and gender and

impulse buying (Hypothesis 2). Finally, self-esteem was entered as a predictor to

test Hypothesis 3.


on the compulsive buying scale

Hypothesis I predicted that the Anglo/Caucasian sample of the survey would

generally score higher on the continuous compulsive buying scale. Overall, this

hypothesis was not supported by the data. As Table 4 demonstrates, after

controlling for the effect of age, African-Americans had higher impulse buying

scores than their Anglo/Caucasian counterparts. Additionally, Mexican Nationals

and Hispanic American did not statistically differfrom the Caucasian group.

H2: Compared to males, females will score higher on the Compulsive Buying Scale.

Hypothesis 2 proposed that females would score significantly higher on the


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compulsive buying scale then males. Females reported higher rates of impulse

buying for clothing, jewelry, and accessories while males only reported higher

rates of purchase buying on entertainment items. This can be seen in Table 2; this

hypothesis was supported by our study.

H3: Individuals with lower self-esteem will have higher impulse buying scores

than those which higher self-esteem scores.

Hypothesis 3 proposed that high self-esteem would be inversely related to

impulse buying. After controlling for Age, Ethnicity, and Gender the addition of

self-esteem to the model was statistically significant at the .10 level. As seen in

Table 4, the findings suggest that respondents with higher self-esteem scores were

less likely to buy impulsively. This result should be interpreted with caution, as

self-esteem was not statistically significant at the .05 level and only accounted for

an additional 2% of the variance in compulsive buying.


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Table 4

Multiple Regressions Predicting Impulse Buying from Age, Gender, Ethnicity andSelf-Esteem

Total Impulse Buying _________________________

Measure Change in R2

_________________Step 1: .015

Age -.12

Step 2: .135***

Ethnic1 .29***Ethnic2 .02Ethnic3 .09Gender .34***

Step 3: .02*

Self-Esteem -.15*

Note: *p


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CHAPTER V

DISCUSSION

The purpose of this study was to further the understanding of Hispanic

college students and their current spending habits. Specifically, this study was

carried out by administering a survey of student lifestyle to introductory sociology

students at the University of Texas at El Paso. The findings of this study provide

further development in the subject of compulsive buying. Both qualitative and

quantitative analyses generally supported existing literature on the subject.

Overall, the analysis explored certain patterns of compulsive buying, looking

predominantly at gender and ethnicity. This study explores compulsive buying,

looking at gender and for the first time in the literature, specific ethnicity.

The present study was conducted in order to examine three specifichypotheses:


on the Compulsive Buying Scale

H2: Compared to males, females will score higher on the Compulsive Buying

Scale

H3: Individuals with lower self-esteem will have higher impulse buying scores

than those which higher self-esteem scores.

Specifically, this study examines possible associations of compulsive

buying, focusing on age, gender and ethnicity. One of the most significant

variables in compulsive buying is certainly the degree to which individuals are


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able to monitor their spending and take control of their impulse purchases. In

regards to consumer behavior, self-control plays an important role in the decision

process of impulse buying. Self-control represents the capacity to resist certain

temptations, especially in regards to compulsive buying.

By and large, results of this study indicate associations between

compulsive buying and gender. Consistent with previous literature on compulsive

buying, result indicated that women have a propensity to purchase items on

impulse at a higher rate than men. An association between compulsive buying and

gender enables us to validate hypothesis number 2, which indicates that women

would generally score higher on the compulsive buying scale.

This study indicates both quantitatively and qualitatively that women

tended to buy items impulsively such as clothing, jewelry and accessories.

Alternatively, men reported both in the qualitative and quantitative analysis that

their impulse purchases tended to be directed towards the entertainment category

(CDs, DVDs, etc).

Results of the Quantitative study also indicated a relationship between

compulsive buying and ethnicity of our sample. The African American population

scored considerably higher than the other three ethnicities, incorporated in our

survey.

Qualitative findings proffer a possible association to compulsive buying

and the retailers. In reference to the one-on-one interviews, impulse buying was

evidently identified as being a different action from planned buying. In the course

of the one on one interview, individuals were able to distinguish impulse buying


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from planned buying. After compiling results of the one on one interviews, it was

apparent that retailers acceptance of credit card and easy access to cash flow made

it easy for the consumer to buy items compulsively. Consumers tended to be more

likely to buy items on impulse when they had time constraints. As for the retailer,

the most vital aspect will be to identify their target market. Retailers should work

on identifying their customers profile in order to generate a higher profit margin.

Knowing specific customer profiles will able retailers to catch the attention of

consumers from their target market.

Limitations and Future research

Qualitative limitations

Like most studies, the present study is not without limitations. On the

qualitative side, the way informants were approached had an impact on the data

pool. With some of the informants provided little useful information. Others felt

that they had to talk to me about were their favorite stores or what they loved to

buy. In retrospect, I should have approached students in a different way or

perhaps should have given a more detailed description of my research.

One of the main objectives was to try to determine if different shopping,

impulsive or compulsive patterns would differ in various cultures. I did observe

that Hispanics tended to be more family oriented and many of them seemed to

have more down to earth values. On the other hand, I did not observe that they

were more or less impulsive in their shopping behavior. In conclusion, I feel that


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one-on-one interviewing opened my eyes for areas of possible research. I feel that

I have grown in my understanding of consumer behavior.

Another of limitation was that many Hispanics were already married or

had families at a young age. It was difficult to decide if they should be treated as a

separate category. I also observed that these individuals make many impulsive

purchases like any other individual who did not have any dependents. I had to

acknowledge and accept that some of my informants had dependents and

sometimes a smaller disposable income. The literature on compulsive shopping

indicates that the individual will do it no matter what their income is or no matter

what responsibilities they have.

An additional limitation was that I was familiar with all of the students,

and we met in my office. However, they perceived me as their teaching assistant,

so they probably had already passed judgments for or against me. Because of my

lack of budget, I was unable to offer any monetary compensation. I am uncertain

if it would have made a difference.


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Quantitative limitations

The quantitative portion of the study also had its limitations. The scales

used for this study provided simplistic vocabulary on a general basis but some

questions could have been interpreted differently for some individuals. In certain

cases, a language barrier might have occurred considering the high percentage of

Mexican American/Mexican National respondents in this survey. In addition,

every participant was recruited from an Introduction to Sociology class where the

majority of students fall in the 18-21 age-group thus restricting our ability to test

for age effects. Not surprisingly, age was not significant in this study.

The recruitment process for the one on one interview did not mention the

subject of impulse buying but identifies for individuals who loved to shop. By

recruiting participants in this way, students might have been deceived or

compulsive buyers might have not signed up for the interview because they might

not necessarily love shopping. Also, in regards to ethnicity, it was hard to group a

specific ethnicity with particular distinctiveness. However, it was unproblematic

to identify strong family value with the Hispanic population of our sample. One

last limitation of the qualitative study was the setting of the interviews. The

setting of a small office with no windows might have made informants

uncomfortable to enter a rich discussion with the interviewer.

A final limitation is the fact that this study was conducted in El Paso,

Texas only. While there is no possible link to believe that El Paso, Texas college


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students would respond in a different way than the rest of the college students in

the United States, it is subject to possible errors and ought to be tested in other

parts of the country. Moreover, there might be additional possible dimensions,

which might have remained unexplored.

Future research

Further research should investigate compulsive buying and ethnicity with

the Asian group. Due to low self-report, the Asian category had to be eliminated.

Compulsive buying should be further investigated in the long term for better

understanding. Further research should investigate compulsive buying with

special attention paid to mental disorders, especially anxiety disorders. Further

research might also want to explore compulsive consumption in relationship with

body image and with plastic surgery.

Conclusion

This thesis has demonstrated an exploratory analysis of Compulsive

Buying. The study explored three demographic variables (gender, ethnicity, and

age) which helped to support our hypotheses. The variable gender helped support

literature demonstrating that women generally score higher on the compulsive

buying scale than men. The variable ethnicity also demonstrated that African

Americans at UTEP scored higher on the compulsive buying scale than the other

ethnic groups. Consideration should be given to further clarify this finding since

none of the literature addresses this issue. Similarly, the fact that Mexican


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Nationals and Mexican Americans according to this study do not vary

significantly from each other is worthy of further research. It may well be that

culture shapes our perception of appropriate consumption; however, so does

social class but testing for cultural or socioeconomic variables while desirable,

was not the focus of this work. Future research should address these issues for a

fuller understanding of the intersection of gender, culture and social class.


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Documents

Impulse Buying Behavior Among College Students in the Borderlands