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Compulsive Buying Index

CBIA tendency to be preoccupied with buying, revealed through repetitive purchasing and a lack of impulse control over buying. Conceptualised as two dimensions: obsessive-compulsive buying (preoccupation, repetition, perceived identity as a buyer) and impulsive buying (unplanned, unneeded, and impulse-driven purchases).

6 items 2008 α 0.81–0.84 Free Ridgway, N.M., Kukar-Kinney, M. & Monroe, K.B.

What it measures

A brief, well-validated 6-item measure of compulsive buying covering both the repetitive/preoccupation dimension and the impulse control dimension. A cut-off score of 25 classifies potential compulsive buyers (approximately 9–16% of general/female samples). CBI correlates with materialism (r=0.51), depression (r=0.21), anxiety (r=0.31), hiding purchases (r=0.59), and family arguments about spending (r=0.44). Shows convergent validity with the Faber & O'Guinn (1992) screener (r=0.62) and superior predictive validity for actual purchase behaviour.

Representative items

My closet has unopened shopping bags in it. (Obsessive-Compulsive)
Others might consider me a shopaholic. (Obsessive-Compulsive)
I buy things I don't need. (Impulsive)
I buy things I did not plan to buy. (Impulsive)
I consider myself an impulse purchaser. (Impulsive)

Citation

Ridgway, N.M., Kukar-Kinney, M., & Monroe, K.B. (2008). An expanded conceptualization and measure of compulsive buying. Journal of Consumer Research, 35(4), 622–639.

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