Alexithymia and compulsive online shopping: the role of emotion regulation

Feyruz Usluoğlu, Resul Çakır and Esra Öztürk

International Journal of Happiness and Development, 2025, vol. 9, issue 4, 346-364

Abstract: With the increase in online financial transactions following the pandemic, internet shopping has gained immense momentum, providing convenience and encouraging compulsive shopping behaviours. The purpose of this study is to determine whether difficulties in emotion regulation influence the association between alexithymia and compulsive online shopping. Furthermore, the study investigates the moderating influence of age and includes gender as a covariate. Surveys were conducted with 597 participants through convenience sampling. The findings reveal that alexithymia strongly predicts difficulty in emotion regulation, and both factors have a direct positive effect on compulsive online shopping. While gender was not a significant factor, age moderated the indirect effect of alexithymia on compulsive shopping via emotion regulation difficulties. These findings suggest that mental health interventions targeting emotional awareness and regulation may help individuals reduce compulsive online shopping behaviours. Age-specific strategies could further enhance the effectiveness of these interventions, offering tailored support to different demographic groups.

Keywords: compulsive online shopping; alexithymia; difficulty in emotion regulation; behavioural addiction; consumer behaviour. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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