Excessive Buying Scale

Do impulse buying and compulsive shopping control your life? Take this test to find out.

By Mark Travers, Ph.D. | August 02, 2024

Buying-shopping disorder is marked by an irresistible urge to shop excessively. While the recently released International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) has not included excessive buying as a formal mental health disorder, the effects can still be debilitating. Characterized by compulsive and excessive shopping and spending, BSD can significantly impact sufferers' financial stability, mental health and overall quality of life.

Individuals with BSD may experience a range of symptoms—including an obsession with acquiring new items, feeling gratification when buying and a persistent need to shop even when it negatively affects their lives. This behavior is not just about having a bad shopping habit, but rather a compulsive need that can stop the sufferer from living a normal life.

This excessive buying scale measures the severity and impact of excessive buying behavior. It is effective in evaluating how serious the buying behavior is. The Excessive Buying Scale can help individuals and professionals gain insights into the extent of the problem. By identifying critical areas of concern, it allows for more targeted interventions.

You can take this test here. Follow all of the steps to receive your results.

Step 1: On a scale from “not at all” to “extreme,” rate the statements based on the extent to which you think shopping impacts your day-to-day life.

1. To what extent do you experience thoughts about buying or shopping that interfere with your daily activities?

2. To what extent do you experience irresistible impulses or urges to buy items you do not necessarily need or that go unused?

3. How much difficulty do you experience in being able to stop your shopping?

4. To what extent do you have a problem going on unnecessary shopping trips?

5. To what extent do you spend excessive time shopping?

6. To what extent do you currently have a problem buying items you do not need or cannot afford?

7. To what extent do you experience emotional distress from buying preoccupations, impulses, or behaviors?

8. How severe are the financial difficulties that your uncontrolled buying behavior in financial problems (e.g., indebtedness or bankruptcy) causes you?

9. To what extent do you experience impairment in your life (e.g., daily routine, job/school, social activities, family activities, financial difficulties) because of problems with buying preoccupations, impulses, or behaviors?

Step 2: Enter your age, gender, region, and first name so we can provide you with a detailed report that compares your test scores to people similar to you.

What is your age?

What is your gender?

What region of the world do you live in?

What is your first name?

Step 3: Check to make sure you've provided answers to all of the statements/questions above. Once you've done that, click the button below to send your responses to Awake Therapy's Lead Psychologist, Mark Travers, Ph.D. He will provide you with an overview of how you scored relative to others (all answers are anonymized and confidential to protect users' privacy). He can also answer any follow-up questions you may have.

References: Kyrios, M., Fassnacht, D. B., Ali, K., Maclean, B., & Moulding, R. (2020). Predicting the severity of excessive buying using the Excessive Buying Rating Scale and Compulsive Buying Scale. Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, 25, 100509. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jocrd.2020.100509