Neural mechanisms of craving and buying behahior in subclinical compulsive shoppers: a 3T fMRI study
Poster No:
922
Submission Type:
Abstract Submission
Authors:
ChengHsiang Tsai1, Tsai-Jing Yang2, Jen-Ruey Hsueh3, Chun-Chia Kung1, Huiyi Luo4
Institutions:
1National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, 2National Cheng Kung University(NCKU), Tainan, Taiwan, 3I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 4National Chung-Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
First Author:
Co-Author(s):
Introduction:
Compulsive shopping is a prevalent societal ailment in modern society, with an estimated prevalence rate of 8~10%. In behavioral research, there has been a clear definition of compulsive buying (CB) disorder. Previous studies in neuroeconomics have also identified the brain regions involved in human decision-making during shopping. However, neuroimaging research on the neural mechanisms of CB populations seems very limited. Therefore, this study uses functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to compare the neural underpinnings associated with craving and purchasing behavior in individuals with subclinical compulsive shopping tendencies vs. normal controls.
Methods:
This study firstly used two screening instruments to identify general shoppers (i.e., control group) and compulsive shoppers (i.e., experimental group, also called subclinical CBers). Faber and O'Guinn (1992) developed their compulsive-buying scale (CBS) and the scale has been used widely in consumer research. However, only using CBS might underestimate the ratio of compulsive buying. Therefore, we include the Richmond Compulsive Buying Scale (RCB) and the scale was developed based on the theoretical classification of CB as an obsessive–compulsive spectrum disorder (Ridgway et al., 2008). After recruiting participants, we conducted an fMRI experiment on each valid respondent. In the fMRI session, participants completed two shopping tasks. The first task required participants to rate their cravings for each product (with relevant descriptions) within 20 seconds (on a scale of 1 to 4 and indicating low to high craving). The second task mimicked the experimental design of Knuton et al. (2007), in which participants viewed the product image for 4 seconds, followed by 4 seconds of added product price, then 4 seconds to decide whether to purchase the product or not, and ended with a variable fixation period of 4 to 8 seconds until the subsequent trial.
·The experiment processes of task 1 and task 2.
Results:
In total, 115 participants were recruited from a number of general internet discussion forums, and community sites (e.g., Dcard, PTT Bulletin Board System). After two screening instruments (CBS and RCB), we recruited six subclinical CBers and four no CBers. Then, the study utilized General Linear Model (GLM) analysis to compare the differences in brain activation between the control and experimental groups. In the first task, it was observed that the activation in the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) significantly increased when the CB group viewed high-craving (rated 4) compared to low-craving products (rated 1). This phenomenon was not observed in the control group. In other words, PCC seems to play a crucial role in reward-related behaviors and decision-making of CB participants. In the second task, the CB group exhibited higher nucleus accumbens (NAcc) activities in the "buy vs. not-buy" contrast, while the control group showed the opposite (i.e., higher NAcc in the not-buy condition). Furthermore, the same group (CB VS. control) x condition (buy vs. not-buy) interaction effect was observed again in the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC). Additionally, the control group's anterior insula (aINS) showed lower negative responses in the buy (relative to not-buy) condition, similar to what Knutson et al. have shown. The CB participants' aINS, in contrast, did not show a significant difference between buy and not-buy conditions.
·The result of task1 and task 2.
Conclusions:
In two fMRI tasks, this study revealed differential neural activation patterns between CB vs. normal control participants. In task 1 (craving task), PCC seems to be the critical site differentiating the two groups. In task 2, CB participants also showed opposite-to-control-group patterns in all the shopping-related regions (NAcc, MPFC, and aINS). Together, these results not only add to the literature on the neurological mechanisms of CB but also could be taken as the target regions for related treatments, such as neurofeedback training.
Disorders of the Nervous System:
Psychiatric (eg. Depression, Anxiety, Schizophrenia) 2
Higher Cognitive Functions:
Executive Function, Cognitive Control and Decision Making 1
Keywords:
FUNCTIONAL MRI
Other - compulsive buying, craving, shopping task
1|2Indicates the priority used for review