Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Difficulty Identifying Feelings, Distress Tolerance and Compulsive Buying: Analyzing the Associations to Inform Therapeutic Strategies

  • Published:
International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Difficulty identifying feelings (a component of alexithymia) and distress tolerance both appear to play a role in impulse-control problems. The goal of the present study was to build upon past research by developing a model of the relations between these constructs and compulsive buying. Participants from the United States and Canada completed a survey containing well-established measures of demographic variables, difficulty identifying feelings, distress tolerance and compulsive buying. In support of a hypothesized model, the three constructs were significantly related in predicted directions and distress tolerance fully mediated the relationship between difficulty identifying feelings and compulsive buying. These results confirm the relationship between alexithymic tendencies and distress tolerance and extend previous findings concerning the problematic behaviors (e.g., substance abuse, pathological gambling) of people who have difficulty identifying their feelings. They also highlight attributes and skills (e.g., tolerating distress, identifying feelings) which clinicians might beneficially target while working with clients who buy compulsively.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anestis, M. D., Fink, E. L., Smith, A. R., Selby, E. A., & Joiner, T. E. (2011). Eating disorders. In M. J. Zvolensky, A. Bernstein, & A. A. Vujanovic (Eds.), Distress tolerance: Theory, research, and clinical applications (pp. 245–260). New York: Guilford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bagby, R. M., Parker, J. D. A., & Taylor, G. B. (1994). The twenty-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale: I. Item selection and cross validation of the factor structure. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 38, 23–32.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Baron, R. M., & Kenny, D. A. (1986). The moderator-mediator distinction in social psychological research: conceptual, strategic and statistical considerations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51, 1173–1182.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Barth, F. D. (2000). When eating and shopping are companion disorders. In A. L. Benson (Ed.), I shop, therefore I am: Compulsive buying and the search for self (pp. 268–287). Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Benson, A. L. (2000). Introduction. In A. L. Benson (Ed.), I shop, therefore I am: Compulsive buying and the search for self (pp. xxi–xxxvii). Lanham: Rowan & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Benson, A. L., & Gengler, M. (2004). Treating compulsive buying. In R. H. Coombs (Ed.), Handbook of addictive disorders: A practical guide to diagnosis and treatment (pp. 451–491). Hoboken: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Billieux, J., Rochat, L., Rebetez, M. M. L., & Van der Linden, M. (2008). Are all facets of impulsivity related to self-reported compulsive buying behavior? Personality and Individual Differences, 44, 1432–1442.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Black, D. W. (2001). Compulsive buying disorder: definition, assessment, epidemiology and clinical management. CNS Drugs, 15, 17–27.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Black, D. W. (2007). A review of compulsive buying disorder. World Psychiatry, 6, 14–18.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Buhrmester, M. D., Kwang, T., & Gosling, S. D. (2011). Amazon’s Mechanical Turk: A new source of inexpensive, yet high-quality, data? Perspectives on Psychological Science, 6, 3–5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Catalano, E., & Sonenberg, N. (1993). Consuming passions: Help for compulsive shoppers. Oakland: New Harbinger.

    Google Scholar 

  • Christenson, G. A., Faber, R. J., de Zwaan, M., Raymond, N. C., Specker, S. M., Ekern, M. D., et al. (1994). Compulsive buying: descriptive characteristics and psychiatric comorbidity. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 55, 5–11.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Claes, L., Bijttebier, P., Van Den Eynde, F., Mitchell, J. E., Faber, R., de Zwaan, M., & Mueller, A. (2010). Emotional reactivity and self-regulation in relation to compulsive buying. Personality and Individual Differences, 49, 526–530.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • d’Astous, A. (1990). An inquiry into the compulsive side of ‘normal’ consumers. Journal of Consumer Policy, 13, 15–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Daughters, S. B., Lejuez, C. W., Strong, D. R., Brown, R. A., Breen, R. B., & Lesieur, H. R. (2005). The relationship among negative affect, distress tolerance, and length of gambling abstinence attempt. Journal of Gambling Studies, 21, 363–378.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Davenport, K., Houston, J. E., Griffiths, M. D. (2012). Excessive eating and compulsive buying behaviours in women: An empirical pilot study examining reward sensitivity, anxiety, impulsivity, self-esteem and social desirability. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction (in press).

  • DeBerardis, D. D., D’Albenzio, A., Gambi, F., Sepede, G., Valchera, A., Conti, C. M., Fulcheri, M., Cavuto, M., Ortolani, C., Salemo, R. M., Serroni, N., & Ferro, F. M. (2009). Alexithymia and its relationships with dissociative experiences and internet addiction in a nonclinical sample. Cyberpsychology & Behavior, 12, 67–69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • de Zwaan, M. (2011). Psychiatric comorbidity and compulsive buying. In A. Mueller & J. E. Mitchell (Eds.), Compulsive buying: Clinical foundations and treatment (pp. 87–104). New York: Taylor & Francis.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dittmar, H. (2004). Understanding and diagnosing compulsive buying. In R. Coombs (Ed.), Handbook of addictive disorders (pp. 411–450). New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Edens, J. F., Marcus, D. K., Lilienfeld, S. O., & Poythress, N. G. (2006). Psychopathic, not psychopath: taxometric evidence of the dimensional structure of psychopathy. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 115, 131–144.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Edwards, E. A. (1993). Development of a new scale for measuring compulsive buying behavior. Financial Counseling and Planning, 4, 67–85.

    Google Scholar 

  • Efron, B. (1987). Better bootstrap confidence intervals. Journal of the American Statistical Association, 82, 171–185.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ertelt, T. W., Marino, J. M., Mitchell, J. E., & Lancaster, K. (2009). Current status of cognitive-behavioral intervention for compulsive buying disorder. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy, 39, 213–220.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Faber, R. J. (2011). Diagnosis and epidemiology of compulsive buying. In A. Muller & J. E. Mitchell (Eds.), Compulsive buying: Clinical foundations and treatment (pp. 3–17). New York: Taylor & Francis.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grabe, H. J., Spitzer, C., & Freyberger, H. J. (2004). Alexithymia and personality in relation to dimensions of psychopathology. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 161, 1299–1301.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Goldman, R. (2000). Compulsive buying as an addiction. In A. L. Benson (Ed.), I shop, therefore I am: Compulsive buying and the search for self (pp. 245–267). Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grant, J. E., Levine, L., Kim, D., & Potenza, M. N. (2005). Impulse control disorders in adult psychiatric inpatients. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 162, 2184–2188.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Handelsman, L., Stein, J. A., Bernstein, D. P., Oppenheim, S. E., Rosenblum, A., & Magura, S. (2000). A latent variable analysis of coexisting emotional deficits in substance abusers: alexithymia, hostility, and PTSD. Addictive Behaviors, 25, 423–428.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hollander, E., & Allen, A. (2006). Is compulsive buying a real disorder, and is it really compulsive? The American Journal of Psychiatry, 163, 1670–1672.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kellett, S., & Bolton, J. V. (2009). Compulsive buying: a cognitive-behavioural model. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 16, 83–99.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kennedy, M., & Franklin, J. (2002). Skills-based treatment for alexithymia: an exploratory case series. Behaviour Change, 19, 158–171.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koran, L. M., Faber, R. J., Aboujaoude, E., Large, M. D., & Serpe, R. T. (2006). Estimated prevalence of compulsive buying behavior in the United States. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 163, 1806–1812.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Krueger, D. W. (2000). The use of money as an action symptom. In A. L. Benson (Ed.), I shop, therefore I am: Compulsive buying and the search for self (pp. 288–310). Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krueger, R. F., Watson, D., & Barlow, D. H. (2005). Introduction to the special section: toward a dimensionally based taxonomy of psychopathology. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 114, 491–493.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kukar-Kinney, M., Ridgway, N. M., & Monroe, K. B. (2009). The relationship between consumers’ tendencies to buy compulsively and their motivations to shop and buy on the internet. Journal of Retailing, 85, 298–307.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kun, B., & Demetrovics, Z. (2010). Emotional intelligence and addictions: a systematic review. Substance Use & Misuse, 45, 1131–1160.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leyro, T. M., Bernstein, A., Vujanovic, A. A., McLeish, A. C., & Zvolensky, M. J. (2011). Distress tolerance scale: a confirmatory factor analysis among daily cigarette smokers. Journal of Psychopathological and Behavioral Asssessment, 33, 47–57.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Linehan, M. M. (1993). Cognitive-behavioral treatment of borderline personality disorder. New York: The Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Loas, G., Corcos, M., Stephan, P., Pellet, J., Bizouard, P., Venisse, J. L., … the Reseau INSERM no. 494013. (2001). Factorial structure of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale: Confirmatory factor analysis in nonclinical and clinical samples. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 50, 255–261.

    Google Scholar 

  • Markon, K. E., Chmielewski, M., & Miller, C. J. (2011). The reliability and validity of discrete and continuous measures of psychopathology: a quantitative review. Psychological Bulletin, 137, 856–879.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mason, O., Tyson, M., Jones, C., & Potts, S. (2005). Alexithymia: its prevalence and correlates in a British undergraduate sample. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, 78, 113–125.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McElroy, S. L., Keck, P. E., Pope, H. G., & Strakowski, S. M. (1994). Compulsive buying: a report of 20 cases. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 55, 242–248.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Miltenberger, R. G., Redlin, J., Crosby, R., Stickney, M., Mitchell, J., Wonderlich, S., Faber, R., & Smyth, J. (2003). Direct and retrospective assessment of factors contributing to compulsive buying. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 34, 1–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mitrovic, D. V., & Brown, J. (2009). Poker mania and problem gambling: a study of distorted cognitions, motivation and alexithymia. Journal of Gambling Studies, 25, 489–502.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mowen, J. C., & Spears, N. (1999). Understanding compulsive buying among college students: a hierarchical approach. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 8, 407–430.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mueller, A., Claes, L., Mitchell, J. E., Faber, R. J., Fischer, J., & de Zwaan, M. (2011). Does compulsive buying differ between male and female students? Personality and Individual Differences, 50, 1309–1312.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Guinn, T. C., & Faber, R. J. (1989). Compulsive buying: a phenomenological exploration. Journal of Consumer Research, 16, 147–157.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parker, J. D. A., Taylor, G. J., & Bagby, R. M. (2001). The relationship between emotional intelligence and alexithymia. Personality and Individual Differences, 30, 107–115.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parker, J. D. A., Taylor, G. J., & Bagby, R. M. (2003). The 20-item toronto alexithymia scale III. Reliability and factorial validity in a community population. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 55, 269–275.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Parker, J. D. A., Wood, L. M., Bond, B. J., & Shaugnessy, P. (2005). Alexithymia in young adulthood: a risk factor for pathological gambling. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 74, 51–55.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Preacher, K. J., & Hayes, A. F. (2008). Asymptotic and resampling strategies for assessing and comparing indirect effects in multiple mediator models. Behavior Research Methods, 40, 879–891.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Reid, R. C., Carpenter, B. N., Spackman, M., & Willis, D. L. (2008). Alexithymia, emotional instability, and vulnerability to stress proneness in patients seeking help for hypersexual behavior. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, 34, 133–149.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Richards, J. M., Daughters, S. B., Bornovalova, M. A., Brown, R. A., & Lejuez, C. W. (2011). Substance use disorders. In M. J. Zvolensky, A. Bernstein, & A. A. Vujanovic (Eds.), Distress tolerance: Theory, research, and clinical applications (pp. 171–197). New York: Guilford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ridgway, N. M., Kukar-Kinney, M., & Monroe, K. B. (2008). An expanded conceptualization and a new measure of compulsive buying. Journal of Consumer Research, 35, 622–639.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ridgway, N. M., Kukar-Kinney, M., & Monroe, K. B. (2011). The measurement of compulsive buying and its application to internet buyers. In A. Mueller & J. E. Mitchell (Eds.), Compulsive buying: Clinical foundations and treatment (pp. 3–17). New York: Taylor & Francis.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rose, P. (2007). Mediators of the association between narcissism and compulsive buying: the roles of materialism and impulsive control. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 21(4), 576–581.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schmidt, U., Jiwany, A., & Treasure, J. (1993). A controlled study of alexithymia in eating disorders. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 34, 54–58.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Simons, J. S., & Gaher, R. M. (2005). The distress tolerance scale: development and validation of a self-report measure. Motivation and Emotion, 29, 83–102.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sobel, M. E. (1982). Asymptotic intervals for indirect effects in structural equations models. In S. Leinhart (Ed.), Sociological methodology 1982 (pp. 290–312). San Fransisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sood, M., & Vaswani, M. (2009). Compulsive buying disorder. In A. Browne-Miller (Ed.), The Praeger international collection on addictions (Vol. 4, pp. 81–96). Westport: Praeger.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steffen, K. J., & Mitchell, J. E. (2011). Overview of treatment for compulsive buying. In A. Mueller & J. E. Mitchell (Eds.), Compulsive buying: Clinical foundations and treatment (pp. 129–148). New York: Taylor & Francis.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steketee, G., & Frost, R. (2003). Compulsive hoarding: current status of the research. Clinical Psychology Review, 23, 905–927.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, G. J., Bagby, R. M., & Parker, J. D. A. (Eds.). (1997). Disorders of affect regulation: Alexithymia in medical and psychiatric illness. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thornhill, K., Kellett, S., & Davies, J. (2012). Heterogeneity within compulsive buyers: A Q-sort study. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, 85, 229–241.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vanheule, S., Verhaeghe, P., & Desmet, M. (2011). In search of a framework for the treatment of alexithymia. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, 84, 84–97.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Strien, T., & Ouwens, M. A. (2007). Effects of distress, alexithymia and impulsivity on eating. Eating Behaviors, 8, 251–257.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Widiger, T. A., & Trull, T. J. (2007). Plate tectonics in the classification of personality disorder: shifting to a dimensional model. American Psychologist, 62, 71–83.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Alumni Hall, Box 1121, Edwardsville, IL, 62026-1121, USA

    Paul Rose & Daniel J. Segrist

Authors
  1. Paul Rose
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Daniel J. Segrist
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Paul Rose.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rose, P., Segrist, D.J. Difficulty Identifying Feelings, Distress Tolerance and Compulsive Buying: Analyzing the Associations to Inform Therapeutic Strategies. Int J Ment Health Addiction 10, 927–935 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-012-9389-y

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-012-9389-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation