Compulsive Buying Scale (Faber & O'Guinn)
Marketing & SalesReliability: alpha 0.953 sample items
About this scale
A 7-item screener for compulsive buying disorder — uncontrolled urge to buy resulting in distress and impairment.
Sample item(s)
“I bought things even though I couldn't afford them”
“I felt anxious or nervous on days I didn't go shopping”
“I made only minimum payments on my credit cards”
Reliability
Reported internal consistency: alpha 0.95. As a rule of thumb, Cronbach’s α ≥ .70 is considered acceptable, ≥ .80 good, and ≥ .90 excellent for established measures.
Notes
Foundational compulsive-buying measure.
Source & citation
Faber, R. J., & O'Guinn, T. C. (1992): A clinical screener for compulsive buying. Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 19, No. 3, pp. 459–469.
Source. Scale details are summarised from the publication cited above. Always consult the original source for the full item set, scoring, and permission to use.
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