Stress and compulsive buying-shopping disorder: A scoping review.

INTRODUCTION: Theoretical frameworks of behavioral addictions mostly acknowledge the role of stress in the development and maintenance of these disorders, models of compulsive buying-shopping disorder (CBSD) however rarely incorporated stress. The association between stress and CBSD has not been reviewed yet. METHODS: A scoping review was conducted to evaluate empirical results on the association between stress and CBSD. A comprehensive search string was employed in three databases. RESULTS: 16 studies were included. Correlative studies suggested significant correlations between general perceived stress and CBSD symptom severity. Studies involving mean comparisons found higher general perceived stress levels in persons with problematic buying-shopping behavior/CBSD compared to control participants (large effects). Mixed results were found in studies involving regression/structural equation models and ecological momentary assessments. One study with a stress/negative mood induction observed more CBSD symptoms in a high stress group compared to a low stress group. DISCUSSION: The studies are heterogeneous concerning design, samples and measures. Only very few studies surpass the level of cross-sectional correlative data which limits the ability to draw clear conclusions. Future research should study the impact of experimentally induced stress on CBSD symptoms, examine the relationship between stress and CBSD longitudinally and assess objective stress markers.

Online compulsive buying-shopping disorder and social networks-use disorder: More similarities than differences?

BACKGROUND: Studies in convenience, non-clinical samples of young adults suggest overlap between online compulsive buying-shopping disorder (OCBSD) and social-networks-use disorder (SNUD). Considering the dearth of research, this study investigated OCBSD and SNUD in clinical samples. METHODS: Women with either OCBSD (n = 37) or SNUD (n = 41) were compared regarding sociodemographic variables, use time of the first-choice application, OCBSD/SNUD severity, general internet use, impulsivity, materialism, perceived chronic stress and the frequency of viewing posts of influencers and the urge to visit shopping websites or social networks after viewing influencer posts. RESULTS: Women in the OCBSD group were older, more often employed, had less often a qualification for university entrance, indicated a lower daily use time of the first-choice application and higher materialistic values as compared to those in the SNUD group. No group differences emerged regarding general internet use, impulsivity and chronic stress. Regression models indicate that chronic stress predicted the symptom severity in the SNUD but not in the OCBSD group. The SNUD group reported a higher frequency of viewing influencer posts as compared to the OCBSD group. The urge for online shopping or using social networks after viewing influencer posts did not significantly differ between both groups. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest commonalities and distinct features of OCBSD and SNUD which require further investigation.

Implicit cognitions in problematic social network use.

Implicit cognitions may be involved in the development and maintenance of specific Internet use disorders such as problematic social network use (PSNU). In more detail, implicit attitude, attentional biases, approach and avoidance tendencies as well as semantic memory associations are considered relevant in the context of PSNU. This viewpoint article summarizes the available literature on implicit cognitions in PSNU. We systematically reviewed articles of implicit cognitions in PSNU from PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and ProQuest databases based on a targeted search strategy and assessed using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The present findings suggest that specific implicit cognitions are important in the context of PSNU and therefore show parallels to other addictive behaviors. However, the empirical evidence is limited to a few studies on this topic. Implicit cognitions in PSNU should be explored in more depth and in the context of other affective and cognitive mechanisms in future work.