The Association Between Coping and Enhancement Motives of Buying and Four Distinct Dimensions of Pathological Buying

Coping and enhancement motives are theoretically implicated in the risks associated with compulsive buying, yet there is a paucity of empirical support. The current study aimed to (1) develop and validate a psychometrically sound measure of coping and enhancement buying motives and (2) assess the unique association of coping/enhancement buying motives with Yi and Baumgartner’s (2023) four dimensions of compulsive buying. Two samples collected by online panel companies were used for measurement development (N = 859) and for validity and hypothesis testing (N = 1157). A seven-item Affective Buying Motives Questionnaire (ABMQ) consisting of coping and enhancement motives was supported. Path analyses identified coping motives as a stronger positive predictor of the financial and interpersonal problems dimensions of compulsive buying. However, both motives were equivalent positive predictors of the excessive buying and phenomenology of pathological buying dimensions of compulsive buying. Our findings point to the unique compulsive buying risks associated with the coping and enhancement motives of buying.