Sometimes it’s wise to fight the impulse to buy

The UAE is a great location to explore consumer misbehaviour and the psychopathological side of shopping, writes Justin Thomas

Shopping addiction is one of those “almost disorders”, a little like “internet addiction”. Paulo Vecina / The National

The watch gazing up from Sara’s wrist costs as much as a modest two-bedroom apartment. The diamonds encrusting the bezel each have their own story to tell. One came from a mine in Sierra Leone via Antwerp; another started life in the Congo. Each of the 120 stones boasts 58 facets, and to Sara’s ear, each facet of each diamond was seductively whispering: “Buy me.”

The company responsible for this bejewelled masterpiece had been in business for more than two centuries. This wasn’t just a wristwatch, this was history, science and geography elegantly written in rose gold.

Sara couldn’t resist. “I’m worth it,” she told herself. “I deserve it, I work hard.”

“Should I gift wrap it ma’am?” asked the salesperson. “No, I will wear it home,” Sara beamed, luxuriating in the high of the buy.

Shopping makes the world go around. After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, President George W Bush famously urged Americans to go shopping. The global economy is reliant on consumerism, and those who study consumer behaviour have helped perfect the science of in-store seduction. Even Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, fell victim to the call of consumables. As a student, Freud’s compulsive book-buying is said to have led to him running up a debt that he had no means to settle, much to his father’s annoyance.

Of course, with the world’s largest mall, and one of the world’s highest per capita retail outlet densities, the UAE is a great location to explore consumer misbehaviour and the psychopathology of shopping.

The most commonly discussed issue in this field is the idea of shopping addiction, more formally termed compulsive buying disorder (CBD). It is one of those “almost disorders”, a little like “internet addiction”. Everyone agrees the behaviour can be problematic, but there is no clear consensus on exactly how to define it – is it an addiction, an issue of impulse control or a mood disorder? Also, how much is too much, how compulsive is too compulsive?

Researchers have developed a simple set of questions that aim to capture the key aspects of the problem. This assessment is known as the Compulsive Buying Scale, and a score of over 42.2 is indicative of problematic shopping. For example, people are asked whether they shop as “a way of facing the stress of my daily life and relaxing”, and whether they buy things that they do not show to anybody “for fear of being perceived as irrational” in their buying behaviour. To the best of my knowledge no researchers in the UAE have administered this assessment. I wonder what percentage of the population would score above 42.2.

Among the most common acquisitions made by people experiencing CBD are clothes, shoes and cosmetics. It’s hardly surprising then, that about 80 per cent of those experiencing CBD are women. However, this may reflect a greater willingness on the part of women to discuss such issues. Generally speaking, CBD escalates and tends to attract everyone’s attention once it begins to lead to unpaid debts.

This reminds me of a short public-information film I recently saw at a cinema in Abu Dhabi. It showed a middle-aged man being visited in prison by his tearful wife and children. Through a series of flashbacks we see how our tragic hero ultimately lost his liberty for non-payment of debts. First we see him buying expensive gifts for his young children, then a fancy sports car for his older son and, finally – the straw that broke the camel’s back – an expensive jewel-encrusted watch for his beloved wife.

Perhaps in more collectivist societies, as opposed to individualistic ones, CBD also takes on the form of compulsive gift giving – that is, buying for loved ones in addition to oneself. Given the growing concern over indebtedness, it would seem like a good idea to look more closely at the issue of consumer misbehaviours in the UAE context.

Justin Thomas is an associate professor of psychology at Zayed University and author of Psychological Well-Being in the Gulf States

On Twitter: @DrJustinThomas