Big Five Personality Traits, Personal Projects, and Compulsive Buying: A Causal Approach

The purpose of this paper is to predict compulsive buying based on the integration of explanatory units located at different levels of personality analysis (dispositional vs. motivational variables). More specifically, we propose a causal model that examines the extent to which personal projects (particularly, the domains of meaning and stress) channel the influence of the Big Five personality traits on compulsive buying. The results obtained from a structural equation analysis using a sample of 487 university students generally confirm the suitability of this mediating model. Specifically, while the meaning of projects channels the influence of all traits on compulsive buying, neuroticism and conscientiousness have—in addition to a direct influence on compulsive buying—an indirect influence through the stress of personal projects. The findings obtained not only make it possible to better understand the dynamics between personal variables of different nature and compulsive buying but also allow us to suggest some guidelines for preventive action and intervention on this complex problem.