What kind of buyer are you? Psychological predisposition to compulsive shopping based on the analysis of Theodore Millon’s personality model “When I’m in a store, the world becomes brighter, kinder...” Quote from the movie “Shopaholic” Time flies quickly, it’s already November. The decoration of shop windows, facades and interior areas of all retail outlets has officially begun for the New Year holidays. As in a kaleidoscope, sales, purchases, sales again and purchases again change places... Dear reader, let's try to figure out who needs to be more careful this New Year's Eve, and who needs to spend more effort on control than others. After all, luxurious Christmas shows and displays in stores, bright windows and alluring advertisements affect everyone differently. The emotions that each of us experiences may be the key to our “trading personality” - a pattern of behavior that, as I see it, directly correlates with personality type. From here it is not far to the disorder of this very trading personality, sometimes it is delicately called compulsive buying or an obsessive desire to consume. But first I want to set the accents. So what is this phenomenon? Compulsive buying (CP) is an uncontrollable urge to buy unnecessary goods. Although it is not officially considered a mental disorder, it causes a lot of problems for many people in the financial, legal, social and professional spheres. Today, CP is considered an integral part of modern culture, where financial prosperity and prestige come first. In the last two decades, not only adults, but also teenagers, have been actively trying on the role of a buyer. This has led to more and more young people believing that clothes, cars, styles and brands define their social status and who they are. Shopping has become more than just a purchase. In its “malignant”, compulsive form, it is seen as a method of solving life’s problems. Buyer behavior itself can be regarded as a process through which the buyer wants to escape from negative, anxious feelings and stress. However, it is also important to see the nosological similarities and differences between CP and obsessive-compulsive disorder. In the professional literature on this topic, one can come across different points of view, for example, that CP is an addictive disorder, or that such behavior is considered an impulse control disorder. I join those who argue that there is no single factor that can fully explain this phenomenon, but rather a combination of psychological, physiological, genetic, social and cultural factors that can explain the etiology of CP. Various studies reveal many factors that can be used to differentiate compulsive buyers: Various addictions Tendency to fantasize Psychasthenia (neurosis) Compulsivity/obsessiveness Materialism (the key to self-determination and happiness) Money relations Impulsivity Desire for vivid impressions and emotions Need for entertainment, novelty and variety Tendency to take risks Obsessive thoughts Narcissism Depression Positive conditions for return shopping Concerns about credit card abuse and its consequences Certain experiences in early personality development Family environment However, many questions regarding this phenomenon remain unanswered. Is CP really related to personality types and styles, and are some people more predisposed to CP? Although early attempts to predict consumer behavior using personality traits did not lead to any significant results, recently there has been growing interest in personality influences in the field of consumer research. One example is the research of Paul Albanese from the University of Kent ( KentState University), although John C. Mowen and Nancy Spears were pioneers in the study of underadaptive consumer behavior. This research was then continued by George Balabanis, Dan Wang and Liuzi Yang, Kalina Mikołajczak-Degrauwe, Malaika Brengman and many others. Paul Albanese devoted his research to the typology of buyers, which is based on the DSM and the psychoanalytic theory of object relations. To briefly summarize this work, all buyers can be divided into 4 aggregated types. You can easily decide which one you are. A normal type of buyer. Such buyers can be called stable, consistent and prudent. The satisfaction they receive from a purchase is related to the usefulness of the product itself. They spend much less money than they earn, saving money to buy products that they cannot afford now. They shop in moderation. There is nothing definite or specific in their behavior that would bring them satisfaction beyond what they consider appropriate. Neurotic type of buyer. Unlike the normal type of buyer, representatives of this type hope that purchases will satisfy their emotional needs in addition to the usefulness of the products themselves. They really love to shop, they love to go shopping. The neurotic type of buyer strives not to accumulate a lot of debt because of “this kind of vice.” A neurotic buyer can be called an expert in his craft. They get unimaginable satisfaction in the pre-holiday hustle and bustle, so the pre-New Year rush is their time! The only problematic aspect of this type is over-purchasing. They are inclined to plan purchases, carry out some monitoring of the purchase and its price, and only if the price, quality and desire match they will make a purchase. True, these buyers are prone to indecisiveness. Thus, shopping does not become a problem for others, only for themselves. It is also worth noting the fact that their defense mechanisms push them to periodically return purchased goods (especially for Western buyers). It is important to remember that it is difficult to keep them company while shopping, since they can “exhaust” anyone in search of exactly what they are looking for at the moment. Compulsive, or obsessive, type of buyer. CP, or compulsive shopping, has one fatal characteristic - it is immersive and consuming. These shoppers constantly purchase products to relieve anxiety, similar to people who use drugs, alcohol, and overeat. A true compulsive buyer is forced to constantly buy, which is reminiscent of binge drinking or running in a vicious circle. It doesn’t matter what exactly he buys, only the act of buying and the relationship with the seller is important, which allows him to get rid of severe and oppressive anxiety at least for a short time. Approximately 6% of American buyers belong to this type, although I do not have statistics on Russian buyers, but from general considerations we can assume that this figure is trending towards steady growth. It should also be remembered that many people hide their passion for shopping. Luxurious holiday decorations and the accompanying discounts make them anxious, but at the same time entice them. It is this behavior that causes the main financial problems, which affect both their personal relationships and professional ones. Psychotic type of buyer. These customers typically suffer from bipolar personality disorder. This disorder causes them to move from periods of depression to periods of mania, a euphoric state. A manic episode may involve a spectacular buying spree, during which the buyer may even break the law. The festive mood, bright decorations and the crowds themselves canprovoke such a condition. This is more than just compulsive buying; their behavior is very different in both cases. For me, it is important to determine the connection between CP and personality style, taking into account all the specific characteristics of the individual himself. I think it will not surprise my readers that I use Theodore Millon's concept and taxonomy of personality, which differentiates and links healthy and psychopathological personality on a continuum. It is interesting to note that Paul Albanese also considers personality on a continuum. Taking into account everything stated above, I want to draw some conclusions about which personality types are most prone to CP. Antisocial personality. They have difficulty understanding other people's feelings and are viewed as cold and insensitive (lack of empathy). When choosing a purchase, the recommendations and advice of other people do not matter to them. They focus only on themselves and meeting their needs. Moreover, they are impulsive and unable to plan ahead. They are prone to taking risks and gaining new and vivid impressions. All these traits taken together have a positive effect on the commission of CP.Hysteroid personality. These are bright, sociable people - the “soul of the company.” They love to be the center of attention and simply enjoy exciting situations. They are characterized by impulsiveness and are overly emotional. They “merge” well into a team or group environment, but it is worth remembering that they tend to create triple alliances, “to be friends against someone.” Easily influenced by other people and circumstances. Sociability negatively affects self-control, which contributes to CP.Narcissistic personalities. They are extremely self-centered, they believe that everything is allowed to them because of their exclusivity, it is important and necessary for them that others fulfill all their whims. Narcissism is primarily characterized by narcissism and selfish behavior, but underneath this veil lies a personality that fears criticism or rejection. Their grandiosity (in fantasies or behavior) needs constant confirmation, which is why narcissism serves as a link to material wealth. Along with low impulse control, this has a positive effect on adherence to CP. Borderline personality. These are emotionally unstable people who experience sudden, violent and impulsive outbursts that affect self-control. They seem to be flying on a “swing”, each movement of which is characterized by a change in states of good/bad, fun/sad, happiness/sorrow. Violation of identity, instability of the self-image, chronic feeling of emptiness create fertile ground for CP. Depressive (melancholic) personality. Usually the mood is dominated by depression, gloom, and sadness. Tends to feel guilty and remorseful. Since these individuals are associated with depression and anxiety, they can be regarded as prone to CP. Such personalities assume low self-control, which is also typical for consumers who make compulsive purchases, so we would expect that depressed individuals have a positive attitude towards CP. Ironically, for the compulsive personality itself, there is no convincing evidence of its tendency towards CP. Quite the contrary, her pedantry and scrupulous adherence to the rules are able to keep such a buyer within the framework of a thoughtful choice of the “perfect” purchase. From the above analysis, we can see that some internal characteristics of the buyer, his personality traits, can make a person more prone to CP. How a person copes with stressful situations and what channels he has to satisfy his needs, what kind of cognitive style he has is valuable information for himself and the well-being of his family. Therefore, it is very important to be able to correctly determine the style or type of personality. As a main conclusion, it should be noted that CP is associated with specific personality characteristics and does not imply the presence of any personality disorder. It is important to focus on communication strategies that encourage