MEASURING OVERCONSUMPTION: DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF A SCALE FOR GENERATION Y IN THAILAND
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14456/aamr.2025.36Keywords:
Scale Development, Overconsumption, Generation Y, Measurement, ValidationAbstract
This study aims to develop and validate a scale to measure overconsumption among Thai Generation Y consumers, addressing the pressing issue of household debt. Drawing upon three key constructs—Impulse Buying, Compulsive Buying, and Conspicuous Consumption—the study employs a rigorous three-phase methodology with 400 participants. The initial phase involved conceptual framework development, followed by reliability testing using Cronbach’s alpha. A second-order confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) confirmed the scale's construct validity (χ²/df = 1.878, GFI = .961, CFI = .985, RMSEA = .051). Results demonstrate that the Overconsumption Scale for Generation Y possesses robust psychometric properties and is suitable for assessing overspending tendencies. This new measurement tool would serve as a valuable resource to financial institutions and governmental stakeholders interested in implementing programs to foster responsible financial conduct. The study findings are particularly relevant and timely given the economic challenges and evolving consumption patterns observed within this demographic.
Downloads
References
Amos, C., Holmes, G., & Keneson, W. (2014). Perceptions of impulse buying and its influence on consumer behavior. Journal of Retailing, 90(1), 57-68.
Aruna, S., & Santhi, P. (2015). Impulse Purchase Behaviour Among Generation-Y. IUP Journal of Marketing Management, 14(1), 21-38.
Autry, A., & Berge, Z. (2011). Digital natives and digital immigrants: getting to know each other. Industrial and Commercial Training, 43(7), 460-466.
Bank of Thailand. (2023). How to manage debt for self-made people?. Retrieved from www.bot.or.th/th/research-and-publications/articles-and-publications/bot-magazine/Phrasiam-67-2/256702-FinWis-Debt-Management.html.
Bank of Thailand. (2025). Banking Sector Quarterly Brief (Q1 2025). Retrieved from www.bot.or.th/en/news-and-media/news/news-20250520.html.
Barbić, D., Lučić, A., & Chen, J. (2019). Measuring responsible financial consumption behaviour. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 43(1), 102-112.
Baumeister, R. (2002). Yielding to temptation: Self-control failure, impulsive purchasing, and consumer behavior. Journal of Consumer Research, 28(4), 670-676.
Benckendorff, P., Moscardo, G., & Pendergast, D. (eds.). (2009). Tourism and Generation Y. Oxfordshire: CABI.
Bevan-Dye, A. (2013). Black Generation Y students' attitudes towards web advertising value. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 4(2), 155-164.
Bilgihan, A. (2016). Gen Y customer loyalty in online shopping: An integrated model of trust, user experience and branding. Computers in Human Behavior, 61, 103-113.
Chaudhuri, H., Mazumdar, S., & Ghoshal, A. (2011). Conspicuous consumption orientation: Conceptualisation, scale development and validation. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 10(4), 216-224.
Czarnecka, B., & Schivinski, B. (2019). Do consumers acculturated to global consumer culture buy more impulsively? The moderating role of attitudes towards and beliefs about advertising. Journal of Global Marketing, 32(4), 219-238.
Darrat, A., Darrat, M., & Amyx, D. (2016). How impulse buying influences compulsive buying: The central role of consumer anxiety and escapism. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 31, 103-108.
Dell'Osso, B., Allen, A., Altamura, A., Buoli, M., & Hollander, E. (2008). Impulsive–Compulsive Buying Disorder: Clinical Overview. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 42(4), 259-266.
Dittmar, H. (2005). Compulsive buying--a growing concern? An examination of gender, age, and endorsement of materialistic values as predictors. British Journal of Psychology, 96(4), 467-491.
Duh, H., & Struwig, M. (2015). Justification of generational cohort segmentation in South Africa. International Journal of Emerging Markets, 10(1), 89-101.
Elsayed, A., Fung, C., & Wu, H. (2022). Impulsive buying behaviour on BNPL services: A quantitative study on the buying behaviour of Generation Z. Bachelor of Business Administration Thesis, Lund University.
Faber, R. (2004). Self-control and compulsive buying. In T. Kasser, & A. Kanner. (eds.). Psychology and consumer culture: The struggle for a good life in a materialistic world (pp. 169-187). Massachusetts: American Psychological Association.
Faber, R., & O'Guinn, T. (1989). Compulsive buying: A phenomenological exploration. Journal of Consumer Research, 16(2), 147-157.
Faber, R., & O'Guinn, T. (1992). A clinical screener for compulsive buying. Journal of Consumer Research, 19(3), 459-469.
Finke, M., & Huston, S. (2003). Factors affecting the probability of choosing a risky diet. Journal of Family and Economic Issues, 24, 291-303.
Gutierrez, B. (2004). Determinants of planned and impulse buying: The case of the Philippines. Asia Pacific Management Review, 9(6), 1061-1078.
Harnish, R., & Bridges, K. (2015). Compulsive buying: The role of irrational beliefs, materialism, and narcissism. Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, 33, 1-16.
Immordino-Yang, M., Christodoulou, J., & Singh, V. (2012). Rest Is Not Idleness: Implications of the Brain’s Default Mode for Human Development and Education. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 7(4), 352-364.
Islam, M., Cheong, T., Yusuf, D., & Desa, H. (2011). A Study on ‘Generation Y’ Behaviours at Workplace in Penang. Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, 5(11), 1802-1812.
Jerome, A., Scales, M., Whithem, C., & Quain, B. (2014). Millennials in the workforce: Gen Y workplace strategies for the next century. E-Journal of Social & Behavioural Research in Business, 5(1), 1-12.
Kellett, S., & Bolton, J. (2009). Compulsive buying: A cognitive–behavioural model. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 16(2), 83-99.
Kim, D., & Jang, S. (2014). Motivational drivers for status consumption: A study of Generation Y consumers. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 38, 39-47.
Kline, R. (2015). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling (4th ed.). New York: Guilford Press.
Krause, A., Dholakia, R., & Leone, A. (2019). A study of the psychological and behavioral factors behind impulse buying tendencies in online shopping. Journal of Marketing Research, 56(6), 899-913.
Machado, J., Silva, J., & Oliveira, P. (2021). Sample size and estimation methods in structural equation modeling: A review and practical guidelines. Journal of Applied Statistics, 48(8), 1575-1592.
Mandel, N., Petrova, P., & Cialdini, R. (2017). Social exclusion and compensatory consumption: How feelings of rejection increase consumer susceptibility to social influence. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 27(4), 461-473.
Murphy, E., Gibson, J., & Greenwood, R. (2010). Analyzing generational values among managers and non-managers for sustainable organizational effectiveness. SAM Advanced Management Journal, 75(1), 33-55.
O'Cass, A., & McEwen, H. (2004). Exploring consumer status and conspicuous consumption. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 4(1), 25-39.
Paisanpanich, C. (2011). The influence of materialism and self-awareness on impulse buying behavior among Generation Y consumers. Master’s Thesis, Chulalongkorn University.
Pellegrino, R., Fernandez, L., & Casillas, M. (2022). The influence of social media on impulse buying behavior in millennials: An empirical study. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 67, 102960.
Piron, F. (1991). Defining Impulse Purchasing. Advances in Consumer Research, 18, 509-514.
Richins, M. (1994). Special possessions and the expression of material values. Journal of Consumer Research, 21(3), 522-533.
Ridgway, N., Kukar-Kinney, M., & Monroe, K. (2008). An expanded conceptualization and a new measure of compulsive buying. Journal of Consumer Research, 35(4), 622-639.
Rook, D. (1987). The buying impulse. Journal of Consumer Research, 14(2), 189-199.
Rucker, D., & Galinsky, A. (2008). Desire to acquire: Powerlessness and compensatory consumption. Journal of Consumer Research, 35(2), 257-267.
Schor, J. (1999). The Overspent American: Why We Want What We Don't Need. New York: Harper Perennial.
Shukla, P. (2008). Conspicuous consumption among middle age consumers: psychological and brand antecedents. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 17(1), 25-36.
Sirithorn, C. (2012). Media Exposure and Innovation Adoption of Generation X and Y consumers. Journal of Public Relations and Advertising, 5(2), 111-130.
Sivanathan, N., & Pettit, N. (2010). Protecting the self through consumption: Status goods as affirmational commodities. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 46(3), 564-570.
Solomon, M. (2002). Consumer behavior: Buying, having, and being (5th ed.). New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
Solomon, M. (2009). Consumer behavior: Buying, having, and being (8th ed.). New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
Stern, H. (1962). The significance of impulse buying today. Journal of Marketing, 26(2), 59-62.
Sundie, J., Kenrick, D., Griskevicius, V., Tybur, J., Vohs, K., & Beal, D. (2011). Peacocks, Porsches, and Thorstein Veblen: Conspicuous consumption as a sexual signaling system. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 100(4), 664-680.
Trigg, A. (2001). Veblen, Bourdieu, and conspicuous consumption. Journal of Economic Issues, 35(1), 99-115.
van den Bergh, J., & Behrer, M. (2016). How Cool Brands Stay Hot: Branding to Generation Y and Z. London: Kogan Page.
Veblen, T. (1899). The theory of the leisure class. New York: Macmillan.
Verplanken, B., & Herabadi, A. (2001). Individual differences in impulse buying. European Journal of Personality, 15(1), 71-83.
Wai, L., & Osman, S. (2019). The influence of self-esteem in the relationship of social media usage and conspicuous consumption. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 9(2), 308-323.
Xiao, J., & Nicholson, M. (2013). The relationship between impulse buying behavior and consumer decision-making process. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 37(6), 510-515.
Yang, F., & Lau, V. (2015). "LuXurY" hotel loyalty—a comparison of Chinese Gen X and Y tourists to Macau. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 27(7), 1685-1706.
Zakaria, N., Wan-Ismail, W., & Abdul-Talib, A. (2021). Seriously, conspicuous consumption? The impact of culture, materialism and religiosity on Malaysian Generation Y consumers' purchasing of foreign brands. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 33(2), 526-560.
Zemke, R., Raines, C., & Filipczak, B. (2000). Generations at Work: Managing the Clash of Veterans, Boomers, Xers and Nexters in Your Workplace. New York: AMACOM Books.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Authors
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
.png)
