The Pathological Buying Screener: Development and Psychometric Properties of a New Screening Instrument for the Assessment of Pathological Buying Symptoms

Abstract

The study was designed to develop a new screening instrument for pathological buying (PB), and to examine its psychometric properties in a large-scale sample. By using a facet theoretical approach and based on literature as well as on clinical experience, a 20-item Pathological Buying Screener (PBS) was developed and administered to a representative German sample (n = 2,539). Valid data were available from 2,403 participants who were subjects for three subsequent empirical studies. The first study explored the factor structure using exploratory factor analyses in a subsample of 498 participants. Based on factor loadings, a 13-item version with the two factors loss of control / consequences and excessive buying behavior was revealed. This two-factor model was confirmed in study 2 by confirmatory factor analysis performed on another subsample (n = 1,905). Study 3 investigated age and gender effects and convergent validity of the PBS using the Compulsive Buying Scale (CBS) in the full sample (N = 2,403). The total PBS score was adequately correlated with the CBS score. Hierarchical regression analyses with the CBS score as the dependent variable and the two PBS factors as the predictors indicated an own incremental validity of the two factors in participants ≤ 65 years. The reliability of the total score as well as of the two subscales was good to excellent. Overall, the PBS represents a useful measure for PB. Future studies are needed to replicate the two-factor structure in clinical samples and to define a valid cutoff for PB.

Food addiction and other addictive behaviours in bariatric surgery candidates

“…The current results further resemble findings from previous studies in bariatric surgery patients that indicate that those with FA are more likely than those without FA to exhibit eating disorder and anxiety and depressive disorder symptoms (Brunault et al, ; Koball et al, ; Meule et al, ; Miller‐Matero et al, ). Last but not least, the proportion of patients being at risk for buying disorder in the present preoperative sample (17.3%) exceeded population‐based prevalence estimates (4.8%, Müller et al, ). This is consistent with past studies suggesting that buying disorder represents the most common nondrug‐related addictive disorder among bariatric surgery candidates (Mitchell et al, ; Schmidt, Körber, de Zwaan, & Müller, ).…”

Compulsive buying behavior: Re‐evaluating its dimensions and screening

“…More recent studies have been critical of Ridgway et al's () research. Müller, Trotzke, Mitchell, de Zwaan, & Brand () argue that it neglects the financial aspect of CBB, and Andreassen et al () assert that it ignores the addictive dimensions of CBB, which their Bergen Shopping Addiction Scale directly addresses: salience, mood swing, tolerance, withdrawal, conflicts, relapse, and consequences. However, it is interesting to note the similarity between Andreassen et al's () addiction‐oriented scale items and those included in the seminal works of Valence et al () and Faber & O'Guinn ().…”

Brauchen versus kaufen: Wenn Warenkonsum zur Sucht wird

“…Als nützlich haben sich hierfür das Strukturierte Klinische Interviewmodul für Impulskontrollstörungen [First et al, 2007] sowie die Shopping Version der YaleBrown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) [Monahan et al, 1996] Scherhorn et al, 1990], der Pathological Buying Screener (PBS) [Müller et al, 2015b] und die deutsche Version der Compulsive Buying Scale (CBS) [Müller et al, 2010]. Das SKSK wurde in den 1990er Jahren entwickelt und basiert auf dem Suchtkonzept Scherhorn et al, 1990].…”

“…bei Studenten, liegt die angenommene Prävalenz deutlich höher (8,3%) [Maraz et al, 2016]. In der deutschen Studie zur Validierung des oben beschriebenen PBS (N = 2403) zeigte sich eine geschätzte Prävalenz von 4,8% in der Allgemeinbevölkerung [Müller et al, 2015b]. Die Neigung zu pathologischem Kaufen in Deutschland scheint seit den 1990er Jahren gestiegen zu sein, wie Konsumforscher zeigen konnten [Hubert et al, 2014;Neuner et al, 2005].…”