Abstract:

Four types of consumers are described, ranging from the most self-controlled and austere to those that experience economic, social, and familiar difficulties due to their psychological and emotional dependence on buying. The results are based on a representative sample of the Basque population, so prevalence data on addictive buying valid for Spanish consumers are provided, and the question of gender is also addressed. Finally, some commonly held ideas on rationality and emotionality are discussed, and an integrative framework is proposed.