Role of Self-Control in the Relationship Between Online Shopping Addiction and Compulsive Buying Behavior Among Young Adults

Online shopping addiction can lead to compulsive buying behavior; self-control plays a crucial role in managing these behaviors. The study focused on exploring the relationship between online shopping addiction and compulsive buying behavior among young adults, with self-control acting as a mediator. Online Shopping Addiction Scale was used to measure online shopping addiction (Zhao et al., 2017). The compulsive Buying Behavior Scale was used to measure the severity of compulsive buying tendencies (Valence et al., 1988). The Brief Self-Control Scale (BSCS) was utilized to assess self-control (Tangney et al., 2004). The cross-sectional correlational research design was used in the current study. The sample consisted of (N=300) young adults with an age range of 18-39 years. In correlation analysis, a significant positive relationship was found between online shopping addiction and compulsive buying behavior; also, findings revealed that both online shopping addiction and compulsive buying behavior were negatively correlated with self-control. Significant mean differences in online shopping addiction, compulsive buying behavior, and self-control were found across genders in relation to the study variable. The mediation analysis showed that self-control had a significant mediating impact on the relationship between online shopping addiction and compulsive buying behavior.