The influence of loneliness on consumption behavior and its theoretical explanations

Abstract: Loneliness has become an increasingly common social phenomenon. Recent research findings regarding the impact of loneliness on consumption behavior have contributed greatly to the field of consumer behavior. Loneliness is likely to induce such consumption behaviors as compensatory consumption, avoidance consumption, irrational consumption, as well as uniqueness consumption. Moreover, consumers' intimacy status, marketing strategies, product attributes, and consumption contexts are found to be important moderators. Researchers have employed varied perspectives to explain loneliness-induced consumption behavior, including social surrogacy theory, sense of control theory, compensatory consumption behavior theory, self-regulation theory, and personality trait theory. Future research shall pay more attention to the impact of loneliness on altruistic consumption, the effects of type and degree of loneliness on consumption behavior, the potential moderators and internal mechanisms of loneliness-induced consumption behavior, as well as the reverse impact of consumption behavior on loneliness.