Assessment of cognitive processes in compulsive buying behavior using neuropsychological tests

This study focuses on the role of cognitive functions in individuals exhibiting compulsive buying behavior. The study investigates individuals' tendencies toward compulsive buying behavior and their performance on neuropsychological tests. To this end, the Demographic Information Form and the Expanded Alternative Compulsive Buying Behavior Scale were used to measure individuals' tendencies toward compulsive buying behavior. The neuropsychological assessment included the following tests: the PEBL-Berg's Card Sorting Test, a short computer version of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), to measure problem-solving and cognitive flexibility skills; the PEBL-Victoria Stroop Test, a version of the Stroop Test, to assess selective attention, inhibitory control, and information processing speed; the PEBL-Corsi Block Test, to assess visual-spatial working memory; and the PEBL-Connections Test, a computer version of the Trail Making Test, to evaluate visual-motor scanning, cognitive flexibility, planning and divided attention. In this context, the study was conducted with 85 participants, including 44 in the research group (with scores ≥ 50 on the Expanded Alternative Compulsive Buying Behavior Scale) and 41 in the control group (with scores < 50). The results of the neuropsychological tests administered to both the research and control groups were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U Test in SPSS software. The findings reveal statistically significant differences in the performance scores of each of the four neuropsychological tests, indicating that difficulties in important cognitive areas such as cognitive flexibility, problem-solving, selective attention, inhibitory control, visual-spatial memory, divided attention, visual-motor scanning, and planning may be associated with an increase in compulsive buying behavior tendencies. As a result, this study is important in understanding compulsive buying behavior and shedding light on the relationship between it and executive functions.