The Relationship between Impulse Buying and Sensation Seeking - Essay Example

The results revealed that the data from the Impulse Buying variable was normally distributed unlike that for the Sensation Seeking variable. The results furtherv showed that there was a weak positive correlation between sensation seeking and impulse buying, rs= .762, n = 30, p = > .05. The results hence failed to support the hypothesis. Sensation seeking is the “need for varied, novel, complex sensations and experiences, and the willingness to take physical and social risks for the sake of such experiences” (Zuckermann, 1979, p265).

Sensation seekers are risk takers. Their main aim is to get and enjoy the gratification that comes immediately after a certain activity. Impulse buying is purchasing items without having planned to buy them (Rook, 1987). Impulse buying behaviour is closely related to sensation seeking. The need for unique experiences as well as the willingness to take risks so as to fulfil these experiences is some of the reasons for impulse buying (Youn and Faber, 2000 and Verplanken and Herabadi, 2001). This topic which focuses on impulse buying and sensation seeking behaviours has been chosen due to the similarities in the two behaviours.

Sensation seeking normally leads to impulse buying, a behaviour that is widely characterised by sensation seeking tendencies (Reynolds, Ortengren Richards, 2006). Sensation seeking has been described as the pursuit of the novel and/or intense and complex sensations. According to Rook (1987), there are many things that sensation seekers do that are not risky. There are those sensation seekers whose main aim is to experience the thrill ad adventure that comes with participating in a certain high-risk activity (Arnett, 1994).

There are other people who prepare budgets, but they nevertheless end up buying thing that they had not planned to buy. Then is also a category of people who just buy anything they think will delight them (Zuckerman, 2007). They do not have to make any kind of budget because they do not mind buying out of the blues. In many cases of impulse buying, an individual normally experiences a persistently powerful urge to purchase the product immediately without putting much thought into the consequences of buying the product (Rook, 1987).

Some researchers have found that people who have high sensation seeking tendencies are likely to have high risk tendencies in their financial lives. Impulse buying is a relatively high risk tendency (Horvath and Zuckerman, 1993). According to Reynolds, Ortengren and Richards (2006), individuals who show signs of maladaptive shopping behaviours are more likely to suffer from distress and financial constraints. Most of these individuals are women. Such people are likely to experience some form of anxiety or relief before they make their purchases.

This shows that there could be some relation between impulse buying and sensation seeking. For instance, when individuals feel anxiety and the need to cool down the anxious attacks, then this could said to be sensation seeking. Impulse buyers live for excitement (Zuckerman and Neeb, 1979). Impulse buying is a rather exciting undertaking that sensation seekers normally find to be satisfactory. They think only of the immediate gratification, not of what may come after. An impulsive sensation seeker normally lacks the ability to process information cognitively when the need arises (Zuckerman, 2007).

The need to satisfy a certain sensation is more important to