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 THE DIMENSIONAL STRUCTURE OF CONSUMER BUYING IMPULSIVITY:
MEASUREMENT AND VALIDATION

A THESIS
SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL
OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
BY

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Seounmi Han Youn

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IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS
FOR THE DEGREE OF
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
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Ronald J. Faber, Adviser

December, 2000

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 UMI N um ber 9991416

Copyright 2000 by
Han Youn, Seounmi

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All rights reserved.

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___ __

UMI
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UMI Microform9991416
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© Seounmi Han Youn 2000

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 UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA

This is to certify that I have exam ined this copy of a doctoral th e sis by

S eounm i Han Youn

and h av e found that it is com plete and satisfactory in all resp ec ts,
and that any and all revisions required by th e final
examining com m ittee have been m ade

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R onald J. F ab er
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N am e of Faculty Adviser
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S ignature of Faculty Adviser

D ate

GRADUATE SCHOOL

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Why are you downcast, O my soul?

Why so disturbed within me?
P ut your hope in God,
fo r I w ill yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
(Psalms 42:5-6)

During the most troublesome times o f my dissertation research and writing, this
verse gave me the comfort and courage that I needed. When I struggled with myself in
the lonely battle o f working on my dissertation, there were many times when I felt like
giving up. However, God was always there for me. As I am about to complete my
dissertation, I want to thank God for being with me and loving me.
I was most fortunate to have the best dissertation committee a doctoral student

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could ask for. I want to wholeheartedly thank my committee members, Ronald J. Faber,
William D. Wells, Daniel B. Wackman, Deborah Roedder John, and Auke Tellegen. My
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greatest thanks go to my advisor, Professor Ronald J. Faber, who inspired me towards a
dissertation topic and guided the theoretical scope and direction o f this project. Without
his intellectual care and encouragement, I would not have begun this project, much less
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finished. His insightful comments and tireless reading were o f big help in improving the
quality of this dissertation. Where this dissertation succeeds, it is a reflection o f his
craftsmanship.
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I am also grateful to Professor William D. Wells and Professor Daniel B.

Wackman for their unconditional support and patience with invaluable suggestions.
Their admirable knowledge and phenomenal intuition in my topic challenged me to think
about the theoretical and practical importance of this project. I can’t thank them enough.
Many thanks also go to Professor Deborah Roedder John. She asked the right questions
at the right times, and most importantly stimulated me to validate my model in a more
rigorous way and to experience the pleasure of studying a model-testing method. I am
also greatly indebted to Professor Auke Tellegen, who provided me much-needed
intellectual resources about personality psychology. My dissertation was built upon his
phenomenal work and it was my privilege to borrow, share, and apply his thought-

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 provoking ideas for my research. In addition, his service as a dissertation reviewer, even
after his retirement, is deeply appreciated.
My gratitude is sincerely extended to Professor Hazel F. Dicken-Garcia, who
always cheered me up with a big hug. She offered emotional support and embraced me
with open arms when I was hurt and discouraged. I also want to express my gratitude to
Professor Kenneth O. Doyle for his encouragement and mental support. I need to thank
the School of Journalism and Mass Communication for awarding me the Ralph D. Casey
Dissertation Fellowship and a Kriss Grant, which allowed me to conduct my research. I
am grateful to fellow graduate students, Shirley Wan, HeeJung Ahn, SooYeon Yoo,
JungHye Yang, and HongWon Park for sharing their intellectual thoughts or ideas both
inside and outside of the classroom. I am also grateful to my neighbor in Minneapolis,
Christine, for showing God's love.

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My teachers at the Korea University in Korea also deserve many thanks for their
encouragement. O f course, special thanks go to Professor KiSun Hong, who was my
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academic advisor when I was in the Graduate School o f Korea University. His moral
support made it possible for me to regain self-confidence and strength at times when I felt
insecure and fragile throughout my Ph.D. graduate studies. I must also thank Professors
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TaekSup Auh, WooHyun Won, SangWon Lim, KyungKeun Kim, SeungHyun Kim, and
HyunChul Choi for their assistance.
I wish to express my greatest appreciation for my husband, Moon (MoonSu Han),
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and my son, David (SangHyuk Han). Their sense of humor and fun loving temperament
comforted me and lifted my spirits when I felt downcast. I am blessed to have their
unconditional love and support. This dissertation is dedicated to my husband and son.
Finally, I would especially like to convey my heartfelt gratitude to my parents,
ByungTaek Youn and SoonDeok Park, and to my husband's parents, TaeSeok Han and
SoonDeok Jin, who have always believed in me, encouraged me, and helped me in every
possible way imaginable.

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 ABSTRACT

Despite the growing emphasis on the interplay o f emotion and cognition in the
consumption experiences, there is little research that provides an integrative view by
linking together the complementary roles o f the affective and cognitive components in
impulse buying. Previous definitions on impulse buying fall short o f fully capturing the
complexity of the impulse buying phenomenon and in turn yield measurements that do
not tap the dynamics o f emotional and cognitive motives. This dissertation seeks to
remedy these conceptual and methodological deficiencies.
As a new framework for analyzing impulse buying, this dissertation triangulates
three major dimensions o f reactive, holistic, and experiential consumption, and elaborates
on the theoretical definition for each dimension. Based on these conceptual explications,

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this dissertation develops the Consumer Buying Impulsivity (CBI) scale to assess the
likelihood of engaging in impulse buying. The CBI is proposed as a multidimensional
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construct, not a unitary construct, which consists o f higher order components that can be
broken down into several lower order factors. The model to best represent the CBI scale
is generated, tested, and re-specified through an evolutionary process across a series o f
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empirical studies. The final model includes the affective and cognitive components with
Irresistible Urge to Buy, Positive Buying Emotions, and Mood Management reflecting
the affective dimension and Little Cognitive Deliberation, Unplanned Buying, and
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Disregard the Future representing the cognitive dimension.

The CBI scale is validated by linking it to psychological constructs such as
Control vs. Impulsivity, Stress Reaction, Time Orientation, and Sensation Seeking. Scale
validation demonstrates a convergent and divergent structure of the CBI construct and
provides strong nomological validation for its multidimensionality. Even after
controUing for the social desirability bias, prior substantial relationships remain stable,
enhancing our belief in the validity o f the CBI scale.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION...................................................... 1

Research Purpose................................................................................. 5
The Significance o f This Study.......................................................... 7
Chapter O utline................................................................................... 9

CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REV IEW ......................................... 13

Impulse Buying as a Reactive Purchase........................................... 27

Impulse Buying as a Holistic Purchase........................................... 29

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Impulse Buying as an Experiential Purchase.................................. 30
Re-conceptualizing Consumer Buying Im pulsivity........................ 30
Elaborating the Definitional Elements o f C B I................................ 35
Introducing the Consumer Buying Impulsivity S cale................... 44
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CHAPTER THREE SCALE DEVELOPMENT....................................... 46
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Item G eneration................................................................................. 46
Data C ollection................................................................................... 47
M easurem ents..................................................................................... 48
Pilot Study 1 ....................................................................................... 49
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Pilot Study 2 ....................................................................................... 55

Pilot Study 3 ....................................................................................... 57
Preliminary Validation o f the CBI S c a le ......................................... 59

CHAPTER FOUR METHODOLOGY.................................................... 63

Data C ollection................................................................................... 63
M easurements..................................................................................... 65
Hypotheses for Model Testing.......................................................... 68
Data A nalysis..................................................................................... 69

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 CHAPTER FIVE RESULTS.................................................................... 70

TEST OF THE MODIFIED THEORETICAL MODEL................. 70

Principle Study 1: Student Sam ple........................................ 73
Principle Study 2: Adult Sam ple............................................ 83

SCALE VALIDATION...................................................................... 93
Hypotheses.............................................................................. 93
Results.................................................................................... 122

SOCIAL DESIRABILITY EFFECTS ON C B I............................. 138

Effects o f SD on Consumer Buying Impulsivity....................142
Effects o f SD on Relations Between Personality Trait
and C B I.................................................................................. 144

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CHAPTER SIX CONCLUSIONS AND DISCUSSION........................... 150
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TABLES 172
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FIGURES 223
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APPENDIXES 228

REFERENCES 241

QUESTIONNAIRES 258

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 CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION

Down the ages and around the world, scholars from many disciplines have

attempted to identify the interplay between self-control and impulsivity when explaining

impulsive human behavior. Self-control and impulsivity have been considered two

important personal characteristics in determining what an individual at a point in time

will do. The notion o f self-control is paradoxical without impulse. Although

conceptually distinguishable, impulsivity and self-control are not independent o f one

another. Without self-control, people give in to whims, desires, and impulses, yielding a

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deficiency o f willpower, that is, impulsive behavior.

Impulsive behavior has been o f long-standing theoretical and practical interest to

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researchers in a variety of social sciences. In economics, impulsive behavior has been a

central element in the discussion of improvidence (Mill 1848/1909), a defect o f will

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(Bohm-Bawerk 1891), myopia and time-inconsistency (Strotz 1956), self-control (Thaler

and Shefrin 1981), and addiction and compulsive consumption (Winston 1980).

Psychologists have studied impulsiveness in their analyses o f the conflict between the
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pleasure and reality principle (Freud 1911/1956), akrasia or weakness o f willpower, self­

regulation (Mischel, Cantor, and Feldman 1996), impulsive vs. realistic thinking (Hilgard

1962>, specious reward (Ainslie 1975), and delay o f gratification (Mischel 1974).

In the consumption area, while showing a strong theoretical linkage with this

literature, impulsive behavior has been studied extensively in the dark side o f consumer

behavior. As a manifestation o f impulsive behavior, this research stream has explored

drug addiction (Winshie 1977), over- or under eating (Fairbum and Wilson 1993), the

consumption o f illegal goods (Hirschman 1992), or excessive purchasing (Faber 1992).

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 Obviously, one important consumption arena in which self-control and impulsivity often

interplay is consumer "impulse buying." An irresistible desire to buy competes with the

willpower to delay immediate gratification. When an individual lacks adequate control

over his buying desires, impulse buying takes place.

Much o f the investigation into consumer behavior has examined purposeful

choice behavior to optimize consumer utility. Consumer decision-making occurs by

following a series o f processes such as problem recognition, information search,

evaluation o f the alternatives, choice, and post-purchase evaluation (Bettman 1979; Engel

and Blackwell 1982). This view implies that consumer decision making involves

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weighing the costs and benefits o f alternative actions. However, more recently, research

examining impulsive behavior -- and impulsive buying behavior in particular -- has

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begun to receive greater attention from consumer researchers because impulsive behavior

can also affect both the purchase o f products and the consumption o f them (Wansink
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1994). For a more complete understanding o f consumer behavior, eminent researchers

argued for the need to recognize that consumers are influenced by both rational and
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emotional forces (Cohen and Areni 1991; Hirschman 1985). Relating to this assertion,

Holbrook, O'Shaughnessy, and Bell (1990) contended that:

Recent approaches to consumer research have tended to regard consumer

behavior either as a mode o f reasoned action or as a repository o f emotional
reactions. We argue that a one-sided focus on either aspect by itself - actions or
reactions - provides a distorted view o f the consumption experience. It therefore
proposed an integrative overview o f the consumption experience that attempts to
provide a synthesis by tying together the complementary roles o f reasons and
emotions in consumer behavior (p. 131).

This contention is especially insightful in examining the content and dynamics of

the impulse buying phenomenon because consumers experience an inner conflict between

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 these two motives when sudden buying impulse strikes. An understanding o f impulsive

buying would be enriched by looking at both rational and hedonic motives, and this will

elaborate and extend our ultimate knowledge o f consumer behavior in general.

Impulse buying has been regarded as a pervasive and distinctive form o f the

consumer buying experience (Loudon and Della Bitta 1984; Rook 1987). Research

examining this area goes back over five decades; dating back to at least the DuPont

Consumer Buying Studies initiated in the 1940s (Consumer Buying Habits Studies 1965).

The traditional studies on impulse buying started from a managerial interest. Researchers

focused on the frequency of unplanned purchasing within various retail environments

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(Clover 1950) and within certain product categories (Applebaum 1951; West 1951).

These studies simply equated impulse buying to unplanned purchasing, with unplanned
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purchasing representing the difference between shoppers' intended and actual purchases.
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This managerially oriented research has come under widespread criticism for its

theoretical and methodological drawbacks, which will be discussed later in greater detail.

It has been replaced in recent years by more exploratory studies of impulse buying, which
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have put a particular emphasis on the affective and cognitive reactions that consumers

experience during an impulse purchase (Rook 1987). Rook redefined impulse buying in

the following way:

Impulse buying occurs when a consumer experiences a sudden, often powerful

and persistent urge to buy something immediately. The impulse to buy is
hedonically complex and may stimulate emotional conflict. Also, impulse buying
is prone to occur with diminished regard for its consequences (Rook, 1987, p.
191).

In the same vein, Hoch and Loewenstein (1991) explained impulse buying as a

struggle between the psychological forces o f desires and willpower. This approach to

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 impulse buying has stimulated renewed interest emphasizing more experientially oriented

consumption. Researchers have shown considerable interest in addressing the role and

importance o f emotional and cognitive reactions that accompany impulse buying

(Burroughs 1996; Gardner and Rook 1988; Hoch and Loewenstein 1991; Rook and

Gardner 1993). In line with this research, the broad purpose o f this dissertation is to add

to this growing body o f research in the impulse buying literature, seeking to integrate the

emotional and cognitive elements of impulse buying.

Rook's (1987) distinct shift in defining impulse buying has drawn particular

attention to systematically investigating the definitional elements distinguishing

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impulsive from non-impulsive buying (Martin, Weun, and Beatty 1993; Piron 1989,

1991; Shapiro 1992). Notably, a major research interest in this vein has also focused on
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providing a theoretical framework for examining impulse buying. This work includes

examinations o f the mood-impulse buying relationship (Gardner and Rook 1988; Rook
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and Gardner 1993); the relationship between affective states, in-store browsing, and

impulse buying (Jeon 1990); the holistic processing and self-object meaning-matching in
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impulsive buying (Burroughs 1996); and the normative influences in impulse buying

(Rook and Fisher 1995). More recently, several studies have attempted to develop and

validate scales to measure the impulse buying tendency (Martin, Weun, and Beatty 1993;

Rook and Fisher 1995; Weun, Jones, and Beatty 1997).

Furthermore, considerable efforts have been invested in examining potential

negative consequences o f impulse buying (Rook 1987; Rook and Fisher 1995). Concerns

about undesirable outcomes motivated consumer researchers to re-explore the underlying

determinants that influence impulse buying (Youn and Faber 2000). While this research

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 interest has been growing, we do not have much knowledge about the factors that trigger

impulse buying. Many questions surrounding impulse buying still remained unsolved.

Previous work on impulse buying has several conceptual and methodological

shortcomings. Impulse buying has been oversimplified both conceptually and

operationally. Existing definitions fall short o f fully capturing the complexity o f the

impulse buying phenomenon, and in turn yield measurements that do not accurately

reflect the tendency to buy something on impulse. The reasons for these shortcomings

might be that existing measurements were developed on the basis o f inadequate

definitions and/or focused on one component o f the phenomenon at the expense o f

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another. These problems o f definitions and measurements make it more difficult to

identify the underlying factors that influence impulse buying. Further, impulse buying
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scales have shown limited validation with theory-driven constructs. This dissertation

seeks to remedy these deficiencies.

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Research Purpose
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The primary purposes of this dissertation are fourfold. First, this study attempts

to introduce a new framework for analyzing impulse buying, to develop a more

sophisticated definition on the basis o f the proposed new framework, and then, to specify

the definitional elements in more details. In doing so, this study tries to integrate the

emotive and rational motives into a new framework to explain impulse buying.

Second, based on this conceptualization, this dissertation seeks to develop a scale

of Cot.sumer Buying Impulsivity (CBI) to assess the likelihood o f engaging in impulse

buying behavior. The scale being developed is proposed as a multidimensional construct,

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 not a unitary construct, and thus it consists o f higher order components, which can be

broken down into several lower order factors. This study incorporates these distinctive

dimensions into the scale, so that the identified conceptual definition can be reflected in

the operational definition to a greater degree. Accordingly, this dissertation will

generate, test, and, if necessary, re-specify the model to best represent this scale.

Third, the current study attempts to determine the psychological constructs that

are postulated to theoretically relate to an impulse buying tendency and further validates

the scale of Consumer Buying Impulsivity by linking it to related psychological

constructs. Theoretically identified constructs examined here are Control vs. Impulsivity

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(Tellegen and Waller in press), Stress Reaction (Tellegen and Waller in press), Time

Orientation (Jones, Banicky, Pomare, and Lasane 1998), and Sensation Seeking
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(Zuckerman 1979). These personality traits lend themselves to conceptual linkage with

various expected dimensions underlying Consumer Buying Impulsivity. This study will
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present a theoretical framework that posits impulsive buying behavior as a function o f

various psychological processes and personality traits.

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Finally, this study investigates the confounding effects of social desirability on the

relationships between theoretically identified constructs and Consumer Buying

Impulsivity. Recent studies call for the need to identify whether or not the substantial

relationships between content variables are inflated, attenuated, or moderated by social

desirability bias, especially when examining sensitive or touchy topics such as impulsive

or compulsive consumption (Fisher 1993; Mick 1996). With respect to this concern, it is

necessary to demonstrate that the relationships between content variables o f interest are

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 attributable to the truly shared variance between them, and not due to extraneous sources

of variance such as social desirability.

The Significance o f This Study

If successful, this dissertation will have both theoretical and practical applications.

Theoretically, more sophisticated operational definitions will aid in the investigation of

the no: no logical network between impulse buying behavior and various psychological

constructs. Good operational definitions yield better measurement that accurately reflects

the likelihood o f engaging in impulse buying, and in turn, make it possible to identify the

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factors that are linked to impulse buying. A greater understanding o f the factors that

underlie impulse buying and its relationship to other impulsive actions will enhance our

overall knowledge o f consumer behavior and its relationship to other elements o f human
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experience.

Consumer impulsivity has been a somewhat ignored yet potentially significant

topic lor consumer researchers. More recently, several studies called attention to the
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moderating role o f consumer impulsivity in the product choice setting (Shiv and

Fedorikhin 1999) and in the responses to persuasive messages regulating impulsive

behavior (Puri 1996). Shiv and Fedorikhin (1999) contended that the effects o f

processing resources on choice were moderated by consumer impulsivity. That is,

impulsives' choices were influenced more by their affective reactions when processing

resources were constrained than they were not. But under the same conditions, the

impact of affect on choice was attenuated for more prudent people. Puri (1996) asserted

that consumers' impulsive behavior was explained by the accessibility o f inputs such as

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 the costs and benefits o f impulsiveness, and accessibility was moderated by consumer

impulsivity (hedonics versus prudents). For example, hedonics are influenced by the

benefits o f impulsiveness and relatively uninfluenced by costs. Thus, appeals that

attenuate the high salience of the benefits tend to curtail impulsiveness in hedonics.

These studies illustrate that consumer impulsivity plays an important role in moderating

the consumer decision making or the response elicited by a promotional message.

Practical Significance

The prevalence o f impulse buying has led to a growth in impulse buying research

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and special attention has been paid to exploring the potentially undesirable consequences

that may occur from impulse buying. Everyday impulsive buying can result in negative
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outcomes in the domains of personal finance, post-purchase satisfaction, social reactions,

and overall self-esteem (Rook 1987). Impulsivity in buying increases the likelihood o f
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overspending, debt delinquency, or personal bankruptcy. Along with such undesirable

fiscal problems, impulse buying can lead to product disappointment, guilt feelings, and
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social disapproval. Shapiro (1992) warned that the pandemic rise in consumer debt might

be a reflection, in part, o f the American consumer’s impulsive lifestyle. Such a worry has

received particular attention from consumer interest groups who have favored control o f

impulse-purchasing-prone environments. From a consumer protection perspective,

although impulse buyers are not generally pathological in their spending, it is worthwhile

to educate and inform impulse buyers o f the potential danger of impulsive buying

behaviors. Presumably, the Consumer Buying Impulsivity scale can serve as a useful

tool to scholars and to agencies interested in consumer protection and consumer

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 education. This scale helps them identify some segments o f consumers who need more

control over their buying impulses.

Some Notes on the Significance of Scale Development

A scale is the means by which researchers measure the attributes of individuals,

for the purpose o f understanding, explaining, and predicting their behavior. The major

requirement for the applied usefulness o f a scale is the demonstration o f its ability to

predict some criterion measure. Its practical validity lies in predicting something rather

than measuring anything.

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However, the purpose o f this study primarily centers on understanding and

explaining, not predicting behaviors. In other words, this study is concerned with
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construct validity rather than predictive validity. The approach taken in this study

stresses the overriding importance of theory-based measurement and construct validation

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procedures. If a measuring instrument is constructed to measure some important

psychological variable rather than just to predict a specific action, both its significance
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and practical usefulness should be greatly enhanced.

Chapter Outline

This dissertation is composed o f six chapters. Chapter Two critically reviews the

impulse buying literature with a focus on conceptual and methodological discussion.

This chapter largely re-appraises existing definitions, measurements, and theoretical

frameworks behind impulse buying. Based on the analysis o f prior studies, this chapter

introduces a new theoretical framework for approaching the impulse buying

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 phenomenon. The proposed new framework provides guidance in redefining impulse

buying and in elaborating the definitional elements o f impulse buying. The re­

conceptualization o f impulse buying builds on the studies o f impulsivity as a personality

trait, observing how the generalized impulsivity trait is expressed within the consumers'

buying context. Greater sophistication in conceptual definition aids in scale development

for impulse buying.

Chapter Three describes a series o f scale development procedures, which were

undertaken across the three separate pilot studies. Subjects in the pilot studies are

undergraduate students registered in a large Midwestern university. The central goal of

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the pilot studies is to help construct the scale through item development and item

purification. This dissertation takes the exploratory approach advocated by Tellegen and
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Waller (in press). This approach requires repeating iterative cycles o f construct

formulation, item generation, data collection, and data analysis for scale elaboration.
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Following the guidelines from this approach, this chapter deals with the processes

of how preliminary items were generated, selected, reformulated, and purified. More
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importantly, this chapter reports how the originally proposed model of the scale was

modified and explains why these modifications occurred. Due to the suggested

multidimensionality o f the scale, much of the discussion is devoted to identifying which

subfactor(s) disappeared and emerged. Although suggestive at the preliminary stage, this

chapter includes the initial validation o f subfactors with Tellegen's Control vs.

Impulsivity and four self-reported impulse buying behavior questions.

Chapter Four addresses the methodology that this dissertation utilizes. For model

testing and scale validation, two studies are conducted separately. Study 1 tests the

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 model of the Consumer Buying Impulsivity scale and validates the scale with a variety o f

psychological traits. Undergraduate students are the subjects o f the first study. Study 2

re-tests the model and replicates it among general consumers, for the sake of enhancing

the stability and generalizability of the model. Again, study 2 validates the scale with

psychological traits and provides the evidence to support the nomological network

around impulse buying and related constructs.

After describing the data collection method, this chapter discusses the

measurement o f the constructs that are used for the scale validation. Specific scales for

each construct are introduced and a Cronbach's alpha is reported to demonstrate the

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internal consistency o f each concept.

Chapter Five discusses the results o f this study and is composed o f three sections.
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The first section o f Chapter Five tests the modified model o f the Consumer Buying

Impulsivity scale. For model testing, a confirmatory factor analysis is performed. Based
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on the observation o f several goodness-of-fit indices, this section determines whether or

not the model fits the data and respecifies the alternative model while giving theoretical
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and statistical justifications. Reliability and validity issues are considered in order to

examine the internal structure o f the model. Ultimately, this section chooses the final

model of the Consumer Buying Impulsivity scale, which will then be subsequently used

for scale validation.

The second section o f Chapter Five develops the hypotheses on the basis o f the

modified model and reports the scale validation results. Research hypotheses are

formulated to test the scale validation with psychological constructs. Because the

proposed model assumes multidimensionality, which consists o f distinct, although

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 possibly intercorrelated, higher order factors and lower order factors, this study

articulates each hypothesis in a hierarchical manner. Hypotheses address the theoretical

relationships between psychological constructs and the overall scale, the second-order

factors, and then the first-order factors. Consequently, this section provides nomo logical

validations o f the Consumer Buying Impulsivity scale by correlating it with theoretically

identified constructs. The degree o f similarity in the relationships for college students

and the general consumer population is demonstrated.

The third section o f Chapter Five examines social desirability effects on the

relationship between psychological constructs and Consumer Buying Impulsivity. First

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o f all, this section explores the possibility that respondents make themselves look better

in responding to the Consumer Buying Impulsivity scale because o f social desirability.

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Further, this section determines whether or not social desirability bias inflates,

suppresses, or moderates the substantial relationships between focal psychological

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constructs and Consumer Buying Impulsivity.

Finally, Chapter Six discusses major findings and their theoretical and practical
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implication in consumer behavior. In closing, this chapter indicates some limitations of

this study and offers some suggestions for a future research agenda.

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 CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW

For over fifty years, marketing and consumer researchers have attempted to frame

a better definition o f impulse buying. Early studies on impulse buying stemmed from

managerial and retailer interests. Studies in this vein examined the frequency o f

unplanned buying in various retail environments (Clover 1950; West 1951) and within

certain product categories (Applebaum 1951; Bellenger, Robertson, Hirschman 1978;

Consumer Buying Habits Studies 1965; West 1951). This research placed its emphasis

on the taxonomic approach to classifying products into impulse and non-impulse items.

This served to provide effective marketing strategies for some products such as the use o f

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point-of-purchase advertising, merchandising, or in-store promotion. In this context,

IE
impulse buying is generally considered to be synonymous with unplanned purchasing

(Bellenger, Robertson, and Hirschman 1978; Cobb and Hoyner 1986; Consumer Buying
EV
Habits Studies 1965; Kollat and Willet 1967).

In the traditional studies of impulse buying, unplanned purchasing has been a

dominant theme, which is interpreted to be the difference between purchase intentions

PR

and actual purchases. Along with this, additional definitional elements have been

emphasized within this paradigm according to the researchers' perspective. Primarily,

they are: 1) response to in-store stimuli; 2) no previously recognized problem; and 3)

rapidity o f purchase decision.

Several authors referred to "response to in-store stimuli" as an important

dimension o f impulse buying (Applebaum 1951; Kollat and Willet 1967; Stem 1962).

Stem (1962), in his four category classification o f impulse buying, identified pure

impulse buying, reminder impulse buying, suggestion impulse buying, and planned

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