A Preliminary Study on the Relationship between Online Shopping Addiction Tendencies and Marital Harmony and Satisfaction
Year: 2026
Type: conference-paper
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Purpose: Today’s rapidly advancing technology brings not only benefits but also risky behaviors. Online shopping addiction is among these risky behaviors. The emotional bond between spouses, the quality of communication, sexual interaction, the mechanism for joint decision-making, and harmony in daily life are among the fundamental components of this concept. Individuals with low marital harmony and marital satisfaction may develop different coping strategies to manage their unmet emotional needs within the relationship. Considering all these potential relationships, this study aims to examine the relationship between the tendency toward online shopping addiction and marital harmony and satisfaction among married individuals. Method: This study was conducted using a correlational research design within the framework of quantitative research methods. The study sample consisted of married individuals selected through criterion sampling, and participants were subsequently reached using convenience sampling. A total of 103 married individuals (76 women and 27 men) residing in the provinces of Ordu, Samsun, and Istanbul participated in the study. During the data collection process, the Online Shopping Addiction Scale, the Revised Couple Adjustment Scale, the Marital Satisfaction Scale, and a demographic information form were administered via Google Forms. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, the independent samples t-test, and one-way ANOVA were used to analyze the data. Results: In the examinations conducted among the subscales of the scales, significant negative correlations were found between the tolerance and mood change subscales of online shopping addiction and the compromise subscale of couple harmony. Consistent with the literature, a positive, strong, and significant correlation was found between marital harmony and marital satisfaction. As a result of statistical analyses conducted with demographic variables, it was observed that the tendency toward online shopping addiction did not show a significant difference based on age, gender, income level, number of children, or education level. Regarding marital satisfaction, however, a significant difference was observed only based on the number of years married; a statistically significant difference was determined between individuals married for 0-5 years and those married for 6-10 years. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the tendency toward online shopping addiction may influence marital processes not directly, but rather indirectly through relational and individual dynamics; marital satisfaction and harmony, however, are particularly closely linked to the marital process itself. Based on the research findings, it is recommended that practitioners consider various other variables when assessing this tendency.
Authors: Selçuk, Aleyna, Karaman, Ömer
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7203587299