For some, shopping might be a fun way to cope with stress. For others, it could result in a vicious cycle of stress and spending, according to a recent study conducted by MSU assistant professor of marketing Ayalla Ruvio.
The results of the study, published in the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, showed people with materialistic tendencies are easily stressed, have higher levels of anxiety and lower levels of well-being. They cope with these traits by compulsively shopping.
“If it’s a stressful event, you will have some sort of stress symptom,” Ruvio said. “For materialistic people, the response to this stress is much more severe. They suffer from post-traumatic stress (disorder) symptoms at a greater level.”
When Ruvio began the study in 2007, she and the other researchers focused on 139 citizens in a town in Israel that was under constant attack from terrorists in the Gaza Strip.
“They have no normal routine, no transportation, nothing normal,” Ruvio said.
At the same time, they surveyed 170 residents in a different Israeli town that was not under attack.
The researchers gauged how materialistic a person was by asking them how important possessions are in life, and if they believe those items would provide happiness.
“It’s not really a personality type, it’s a world view,” Ruvio said.
What they found from the study was those who are materialistic in both Israeli towns had a spike in their shopping patterns as a result of the attacks.
“For materialistic people, you have a double jeopardy — they suffer more from it, they try to cope with it, and then they suffer more,” said Ruvio, adding it is a vicious cycle because of the stress induced by the financial debt incurred by compulsive shopping.
The study concluded with a survey in the U.S. where 855 residents were asked to imagine their death. The participants’ spending habits went up as well, showing this habit is not isolated to the trauma the Israeli people faced.
Anna McAlister, MSU assistant professor of advertising and public relations, has done research on how brands affect developing minds. McAlister said the reason why people develop materialistic traits is because of the way technology has allowed people to openly broadcast their possessions, and because children are exposed to brands in an immersive way at an early age.
McAlister said materialistic people might be trying to control aspects of their life through shopping.
“If you’re living in this area, your home is under attack, this is one thing you can control,” McAlister said. “It could be about seeking comfort through material things.”
Carly Sternberg, a James Madison College freshman, said the shopping addiction is similar to a gambling addiction.
“I think there’s something empty inside of them,” Sternberg said. “Maybe they think by buffing their image, they’ll regain what they lost.”
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