Nature vs Nurture

Nature vs. Nurture: The Role of Family in Compulsive Buying

Evaluation of Comprehensiveness and Limitations of Study

The article does a study that look at two sources of family influence on compulsive buying: nature (a genetic predisposition towards compulsive disorders) and nurture (influences in the family environment during adolescence). Although several variables related to these factors have been studied individually (or in some combination), no study has looked at the relative effects of nature and nurture on compulsive buying. Across all of this research, support is provided for a key role for family environment on compulsive buying tendencies. The research is limited due to the use of a survey to try to gather “nature” effects. As a result, these findings could also include a “nurture” component.

Methods and Procedures of Study

This study used a self-report questionnaire as the survey instrument. Four hundred and seventy-nine Mexican adolescents and young adults completed the questionnaire. Questionnaires were completed at a major university in northern Mexico as well as two junior highs and one high school that are part of the university educational system. This study uses the 13-item compulsive buying scale developed by Valence, d’Astous, and Fortier (1988).

Major Findings of the Study

The results of this study provide evidence that both nature and nurture play a role in compulsive buying behavior, with each antecedent explaining a significant amount of the variance in

References

Gwin, C. F., Roberts, J. A., & Martinez, C. (2005). NATURE VS. NURTURE: THE ROLE OF FAMILY IN COMPULSIVE BUYING. Marketing Management Journal, 15(1), 95-107.