Shopping Addiction Research Papers

Shopping addiction has gained a great deal of attention from the media and medical profession in recent years. Typically defined as a conscious impulse to make unnecessary purchases, some consider shopping addiction a serious disorder that may be treated, while others consider it a character flaw and evidence of irresponsibility. This paper will examine these views of shopping addiction, including their legal implications. In addition, it will demonstrate that women shop more than men do, women are the vast majority of shopping addicts, and propose that shopping addiction is character flaw, rather than a disease.

Sometimes referred to as compulsive shopping, shopping addiction is currently being studied by an American Psychological Association panel and will probably be included as an actual impulse control disorder . An impulse-control disorder refers to "the failure to resist an impulse, drive, or temptation to perform an act that is harmful to the person or others" . In addition, victims of impulse-control disorder typically "feels an increasing sense of tension or arousal before committing the act, and then experiences pleasure, gratification or relief at the time of committing the act" . However, to be a shopping addict, a person must be aware that they are purchasing goods they do not need, their shopping habit impairs their job, creates family problems, and/or leads to financial problems.

However, one may contend that this impulsive condition to purchase goods is actually the inability to manage one's finances. That is, everyone goes into a store and wants to have many of the items offered on the shelves or in the showroom. However, most have the ability to understand that they cannot afford these items or do not need these items, and refrain from the purchase. It is my opinion that those who are unable to refrain from unnecessary and/or unaffordable purchases are financially irresponsible, not inflicted with a disorder. Instead of drugs and therapy, these irresponsible spenders need their credit revoked, a lesson in money management, and a support group such as Debtors Anonymous.

Not everyone in the medical community agrees that shopping addiction is an actual disorder. Many psychiatrists have noted that many so-called shopping addicts do not display standard neurobiological symptoms . For example, Dr. Elissa Benedek, a past president of the APA and now a clinical psychiatrist at the University of Michigan Medical School, contends that compulsive shopping behavior is "simple folly that is basically untreatable," rather than an illness.

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Custom Shopping Addiction Research Papers from Paper Masters

A research paper is an in-depth examination of Shopping Addiction. More than just an overview of what was learned on Shopping Addiction, like a term paper is, a research paper contains analysis of Shopping Addiction along the lines of organizational theory and relevant published material. Research papers are highly analytical and can often be more than 8 to 10 pages. The key to a good research project is the examination of recently published journal articles and peer-reviewed material on the Shopping Addiction chosen. Like the name implies, research papers are exactly that, a paper that examines the information that can be found on Shopping Addiction.