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Behavioral Neuroscience of Buying-Shopping Disorder: a Review

Current Behavioral Neuroscience Reports volume 5, pages 263–270 (2018)Cite this article

Abstract

Purpose of Review

This paper provides a narrative review of recent neurocognitive, pharmacological, and genetic findings in buying-shopping disorder (BSD).

Recent Findings

Preliminary evidence from experimental neuropsychological studies indicates BSD is associated with reward-seeking, cue-induced craving towards buying/shopping stimuli and disadvantageous decision making under ambiguous risk conditions that may be attributable to disrupted emotional feedback. BSD is not linked to deficits in general executive functioning. Psychopharmacological studies with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or opioid antagonists are all preliminary with small samples. There is a paucity of research examining if BSD is inherited.

Summary

BSD carries serious negative impact in important life domains and seems to reflect key components of disorders due to substance use or addictive behaviors. Future research should focus on neural circuits and genetics involved in BSD, classification and treatment development. There is a need for investigations concerning the relative contributions of psychosocial, neurocognitive, genetic, and physiological factors in BSD.

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Funding

This work was financially supported by grants of the Universities Australia - Australia–Germany Joint Research Co-operation Scheme and the German Academic Exchange Service (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst, DAAD, grant number 57387119).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Education, Psychology and Social Work, Flinders University, CRICOS No: 00114A, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, South Australia, 5001, Australia

    Michael Kyrios

  2. Department of General Psychology: Cognition, Center for Addiction Research (CeBAR), University Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg, Germany

    Patrick Trotzke

  3. Monash Business School, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia

    Lee Lawrence

  4. Research School of Psychology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia

    Daniel B. Fassnacht & Kathina Ali

  5. Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Center for Addiction Research (CARe), Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany

    Nora M. Laskowski & Astrid Müller

Authors
  1. Michael Kyrios
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Correspondence to Michael Kyrios.

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Kyrios, M., Trotzke, P., Lawrence, L. et al. Behavioral Neuroscience of Buying-Shopping Disorder: a Review. Curr Behav Neurosci Rep 5, 263–270 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40473-018-0165-6

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Keywords

  • Buying-shopping disorder
  • Compulsive buying
  • Behavioral addiction
  • Craving
  • Cue-reactivity