The Big Five Personality Traits and Shopping Addiction among Young Turkish Adults

Abstract

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions, online shopping has become a part of the daily life of individuals across the globe. Shopping addiction or compulsive buying, on the other hand, is considered to be a growing behavioral addiction problem which renders individuals’ wellbeing and happiness. The current study aimed at examining the role of gender and the Big Five personality traits on shopping addiction among university students. Study data were obtained through an online survey platform. Seventy university students aged between 18 and 33 (M=23.10, SD=3.38) were included in the analyses. Group comparisons were carried out by conducting One-way Analysis of Variance. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was used to test the hypothesized model where the shopping addiction score was the dependent variable. The predictor variables were extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness to experience scores of the participants. One-way Analysis of Variance tests results indicated a gender difference, with females scoring higher on the shopping addiction score. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that only the openness to experience trait significantly and inversely predicted the shopping addiction. Empirical studies that address the relationship between potentially addictive shopping and the Big Five personality traits are producing inconclusive results. This study was specifically designed to examine the personality – shopping addiction relationship and supports the existing body of knowledge by providing findings from a non-Western culture. A possible protective role of openness to experience trait with regards to shopping addiction is the main implication of the study