A study investigating the association between compulsive buying and cognitive dissonance among consumers with bipolar disorder

Today, it is seen that consumers buy more than they need, and even make excessive purchases out of necessity. Unexplained, repetitive obsessive shopping has revealed the concept of compulsive buying. Compulsive buying is an uncontrolled and unstoppable shopping urge. On the other hand, it is seen that consumers with bipolar disorder are also compulsive buyers. These people believe that they make more purchases during their depressive periods and that shopping makes them feel better. It is known that the shopping that people with bipolar disorder make, especially during the manic period, are made impulsively rather than real needs. Therefore, in this thesis, it is aimed to reveal the effect of uncontrolled credit card use and attitude towards advertising, which are external factors that trigger this behavior, on compulsive buying behavior of people with bipolar disorder, and the effect of this behavior on post-purchase regret (cognitive dissonance). In the study, data were collected by face-to-face questionnaire method from 153 people with Bipolar Disorder who were followed up in Çukurova University Medical Faculty Hospital, Mental Health and Diseases Polyclinic. Descriptive analysis and simple linear regression analysis were used in the analysis of the collected data. According to the results obtained in the study; uncontrollable credit card usage and attitude towards advertising positively affect compulsive buying behavior; It has been determined that compulsive buying has a positive effect on post-purchase regret. At the same time, it was determined that compulsive buying has a positive effect on post-purchase regret. It has been determined that people with bipolar disorder make compulsive consumption and this consumption is especially affected by uncontrollable credit card usage and advertisements. In addition, it has been observed that bipolar consumers who make compulsive consumption feel sadness and regret about their shopping.