Neurotic? Psychotic? What kind of holiday shopper are you?

December 10, 2008

The holiday season is the busiest shopping time of the year. According to the National Retail Federation, more than 172 million shoppers hit the stores on Black Friday weekend this year – up from 147 million in 2007.

Moreover, during this time, economists pay close attention to the shopping trends.

One such economist, Dr. Paul Albanese, Kent State University associate professor of marketing and author of "The Personality Continuum and Consumer Behavior," has taken it a step further.

Albanese examined shopping behavior and classified it into four levels of personality development: normal, neurotic, primitive and psychotic.

"Normal consumers spend less than they earn and save for future purchases they cannot afford in the present, while neurotic shoppers spend an excessive amount of time shopping, often not buying anything," says Albanese.

In addition, he found that compulsive buyers engage in repetitive buying binges and fall within the primitive personality type, while psychotic personalities go overboard in spectacular spending sprees usually resulting in serious financial and legal problems.

More about this research can be found at http://tinyurl.com/ksualbanese .

Source: Kent State University


Rank not rated yet
Relevant PhysicsForums posts

More news stories

Australian women reject 'I love u' texts

Australian women may have embraced the digital era, but they prefer a face-to-face declaration of affection to an "I love u" text and find men addicted to their mobile phones a major turnoff.

Other Sciences / Social Sciences

created 1 hour ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

A frank discussion of the power law and linking correlation to causation

(PhysOrg.com) -- Michael Stumpf a mathematics professor at Imperial College in London, and Mason Porter a lecturer at Oxford have teamed together to write and publish a perspective piece in Science regarding the in ...

Other Sciences / Mathematics

created Feb 10, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (5) | comments 11 | with audio podcast report

US workers are 'giving away the store,' costing firms billions

Nearly 70 percent of the nation's service employees give away free goods and services – from hamburgers to cable TV – costing companies billions of dollars a year, according to a groundbreaking study.

Other Sciences / Economics & Business

created Feb 09, 2012 | popularity 3 / 5 (5) | comments 11

Employers feel no love for unscrupulous practice of 'service sweethearting'

A new study led by two Florida State University marketing professors finds that some frontline service employees who are rewarded for hikes in customer loyalty and satisfaction also may engage in "service ...

Other Sciences / Economics & Business

created Feb 10, 2012 | popularity 3.3 / 5 (3) | comments 10

New insights into how to correct false knowledge

The abundance of false information available on the Internet, in movies and on TV has created a big challenge for educators.

Other Sciences / Social Sciences

created Feb 07, 2012 | popularity 4.9 / 5 (7) | comments 9 | with audio podcast


Rapunzel, Leonardo and the physics of the ponytail

(PhysOrg.com) -- New research provides the first mathematical understanding of the shape of a ponytail and could have implications for the textile industry, computer animation and personal care products.

Cognitive impairment in older adults often unrecognized in the primary care setting

A new study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society reveals that brief cognitive screenings combined with offering further evaluation increased new diagnoses of cognitive impairment in older veterans two to ...

AT&T customers surprised by 'unlimited data' limit

(AP) -- Mike Trang likes to use his iPhone 4 as a GPS device, helping him get around in his job. Now and then, his younger cousins get ahold of it, and play some YouTube videos and games.

Climate change causes harmful algal blooms in North Atlantic: study

Warming oceans and increases in windiness could be causing of an abundance of harmful algal blooms in the North Atlantic Ocean and North Sea, according to new research.

Hacker claims porn site users compromised

A hacker claims to have compromised the personal information of more than 350,000 users after breaking into a disused website operated by pornography provider Brazzers.

Primary care program helps obese teen girls manage weight, improve body image and behavior

Teenage girls gained less weight, improved their body image, ate less fast food, and had more family meals after participating in a 6- month program that involved weekly peer meetings, consultations with primary care providers ...