Recent studies in consumer behavior have focused on characteristics of a group of “compulsive consumers” and the urge to buy in a general population. However, little has been published on the assessment or treatment of dysfunctional spending behaviors. This article (1) sets forth a heuristic continuum of spending behaviors, (2) provides several case examples to illustrate the continuum, (3) offers suggestions for assessment and therapeutic intervention, and (4) sets forth an agenda for practice-based research on spending behaviors.
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