Click,Buy,Repeat: Understanding the Psychological and Behavioral Mechanisms of Online Shopping Behavior

Introduction

In recent years, online shopping has surged in popularity, driven by advances in digital technology and the widespread availability of the internet. This growth has been further accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic, which introduced social distancing measures and lockdowns, compelling consumers to rely heavily on e-commerce platforms for their purchases. ¹ While online shopping offers notable advantages in terms of convenience, it has also sparked concerns about its potential psychological impacts, particularly the rise in compulsive buying behaviors. Despite the growing prevalence of this issue, there is still a significant gap in empirical research exploring the affective and cognitive mechanisms that underlie problematic online shopping behaviors.

Emerging evidence indicates that individuals diagnosed with compulsive buying-shopping disorder (CBSD) frequently present with co-occurring mental health conditions, such as anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, and depressive disorders. ² The interaction between these psychological conditions and compulsive shopping behavior is intricate and multilayered. Individuals with CBSD may engage in excessive online shopping as a maladaptive coping mechanism for negative emotional states, yet this behavior can exacerbate emotional distress and lead to financial difficulties. Consequently, a deeper understanding of the psychological processes associated with CBSD is essential to inform the development of effective therapeutic interventions.

The Click, Buy, Repeat project aims to explore the complex relationships between compulsive online buying behavior, negative affectivity, euphoric mood states, and psychological defense mechanisms within a general population. This project represents a collaborative effort between the Humane Technology Lab at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy, and the Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli.” By investigating these interconnections, the project seeks to contribute to the growing body of knowledge surrounding compulsive buying behaviors and provide a foundation for developing evidence-based interventions targeting CBSD.

The Link Between Online Shopping and Defense Mechanisms

While numerous studies have examined the connections between affective mood states—such as anxiety and depression—and compulsive shopping behaviors, there remains a notable gap in the literature concerning the role of psychological defense mechanisms in this context. Psychological defense mechanisms, which are unconscious strategies employed to mitigate anxiety and protect the self from distressing thoughts and emotions, may play a critical role in how individuals cope with the impulses associated with compulsive buying behaviors.

Defense mechanisms serve the fundamental purpose of shielding the individual from excessive anxiety, often arising from unconscious conflicts. According to psychoanalytic theory, anxiety emerges when an individual becomes aware of unacceptable thoughts, impulses, or desires that threaten the stability of the self. The ego mediates between the instinctual drives of the id and the moralistic standards of the superego, enabling the individual to navigate reality while satisfying basic needs. However, when direct expression of certain desires or impulses would result in adverse consequences, defense mechanisms intervene, preventing these thoughts from reaching conscious awareness and allowing the individual to maintain psychological equilibrium. ³

In the context of compulsive shopping, defense mechanisms may act as coping strategies that individuals unconsciously employ to alleviate distress or manage underlying emotional conflicts. ⁴ For example, repression—one of the most fundamental defense mechanisms—may prevent distressing emotions or unacceptable desires related to materialism or emotional dependency from surfacing into conscious awareness. Instead, individuals may engage in excessive online shopping as a compensatory behavior to temporarily alleviate feelings of inadequacy, loneliness, or anxiety.

Understanding how defense mechanisms interact with affective mood states is critical for explaining the psychological complexity of compulsive shopping behaviors. According to Vaillant’s hierarchical model of defense mechanisms, maladaptive defenses (e.g., projection, denial) are more likely to be employed by individuals experiencing high levels of anxiety or depression, further complicating their ability to manage compulsive behaviors. ⁵ This suggests that compulsive shoppers may resort to using maladaptive defenses as a way to cope with the emotional discomfort triggered by their compulsive buying habits.

First Results from the Project

The preliminary findings of the Click, Buy, Repeat project, based on a sample of 100 adults of age 19–65 years, offer important insights into compulsive buying behaviors across different stages of life. Participants completed several standardized assessment tools, including: (a) the Compulsive Online Shopping Scale (COSS), designed to measure the frequency and intensity of compulsive online shopping behaviors; (b) the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21), which evaluates psychological distress in the dimensions of depression, anxiety, and stress; (c) the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ), which screens for symptoms of bipolar disorder; and (d) the Defense Mechanisms Rating Scale-Self Report-30 (DMRS-SR-30), which categorizes defense mechanisms into mature, neurotic, and immature types.

To explore the relationships between the variables of interest, several statistical analyses were conducted. A preliminary correlational analysis examined the associations between COSS scores and the MDQ, DASS-21, and the neurotic and immature defense mechanisms measured by the DMRS-SR-30. This analysis aimed to determine whether emotional distress and defense mechanisms play a role in compulsive buying tendencies.

The results revealed significant positive correlations, suggesting that individuals with higher compulsive shopping behaviors also reported elevated levels of emotional distress, as measured by the DASS-21, and higher use of neurotic defense mechanisms. These findings suggest that compulsive online shopping may be associated with both psychological distress and maladaptive defense strategies. In addition, a negative correlation was found between COSS scores and both age and the use of mature defenses, suggesting that younger individuals and those with less adaptive psychological defense mechanisms are more likely to engage in compulsive online shopping behaviors.

Gender differences were also observed in the COSS scores, with females reporting significantly higher levels of compulsive buying behavior than males. This finding aligns with existing research, which suggests that women are more likely to engage in compulsive shopping due to various societal and cultural influences, such as gender-specific marketing strategies and social norms surrounding consumerism.

To further investigate the predictors of compulsive online shopping behavior, a hierarchical linear regression analysis was performed with COSS scores as the dependent variable. The independent variables included gender, age, education level, DASS-21 scores (depression, anxiety, and stress dimensions), MDQ total score, and DMRS-SR-30 defense mechanism categories (mature, neurotic, and immature). The regression analysis revealed that higher levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms, as measured by the DASS-21, along with elevated MDQ scores and increased reliance on neurotic defense mechanisms, were significant predictors of compulsive online shopping behavior. These findings suggest that psychological distress and less adaptive defense mechanisms contribute significantly to the likelihood of engaging in compulsive shopping.

Conclusions

The preliminary findings from the Click, Buy, Repeat project provide important insights into the psychological factors associated with compulsive online buying behavior. Consistent with previous research, the results indicate that females are more likely than males to engage in problematic online shopping behaviors. In addition, individuals exhibiting a higher propensity for compulsive shopping addiction tend to report elevated levels of anxiety, depression, and manic symptoms. These findings underscore the necessity of considering comorbid mental health conditions, such as mood disorders, when treating compulsive buying behaviors.

This project also represents a novel contribution to the literature by highlighting the critical role that psychological defense mechanisms play in CBSD. Specifically, the preliminary results show that the neurotic defense category is a significant predictor of compulsive online shopping behavior.

As Full Professor of General Psychology, Giovanna Nigro, from Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli, explains: “Understanding the role of defense mechanisms in individuals suffering from CBSD has the potential to improve our comprehension of the underlying psychological processes that contribute to compulsive buying behaviors. Based on this understanding, we can develop therapeutic approaches to address these behaviors. For instance, interventions could focus on helping individuals cultivate more adaptive defense mechanisms, thereby fostering healthier coping strategies in response to negative emotions.”

The implications of this project extend beyond academic research. Mental health professionals and clinicians stand to benefit from these findings by incorporating an understanding of defense mechanisms into therapeutic practices. By addressing the psychological factors that underlie compulsive buying, therapists can assist individuals in identifying and modifying maladaptive behaviors, thereby improving their mental health and overall well-being.

In conclusion, to further advance the understanding of compulsive online shopping, the Click, Buy, Repeat project emphasizes the need for continued research on the psychological dimensions of this behavior. Longitudinal studies are particularly important for assessing changes in compulsive buying behavior over time and for examining its relationship with various psychological variables. In addition, future studies should explore the influence of demographic factors, such as socioeconomic status and cultural context, to gain a more comprehensive understanding of CBSD’s complexity.