Faculty Sponsor, if applicable
Mary-Jill Blackwell
Project Abstract
Prior research suggests that loneliness is a factor in shopping and amount of money spent, and online activities, such as online browsing. However, little research has been done on how loneliness affects online shopping behavior. I hypothesized that individuals who identify as lonely spend the most via online transactions the more time they browse online. An online sample of 42 persons (21 females) completed a survey asking about their online browsing habits, money spent shopping online, and feelings of loneliness—such as perceived isolation and lack of close relationships. There were no significant main or interaction effects found after analyzing the data. Despite non-significant findings, patterns reveal a possibility of online shopping being utilized as a coping mechanism.
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Presentation Year
May 2016