Bergen Shopping Addiction Scale

Bergen Shopping Addiction Scale (BSAS) is a psychometric tool developed to measure the severity of shopping addiction. It was developed by a team of researchers led by Cecilie Schou Andreassen at the University of Bergen, Norway, hence the name.

Overview

The Bergen Shopping Addiction Scale is a self-report questionnaire consisting of 28 items. The items are designed to assess the seven core elements of addiction: salience, mood modification, tolerance, withdrawal, conflict, relapse, and problems. Each element is measured by four items, and the respondents rate each item on a five-point scale ranging from 'very rarely' to 'very often'.

Development

The development of the Bergen Shopping Addiction Scale was based on the addiction theory of Griffiths (2005), which posits that any behavior that fulfills six core components can be considered an addiction. The scale was developed in a two-step process. First, a pool of items was generated based on the seven core elements of addiction. Then, these items were refined and validated through a series of studies involving different samples of participants.

Validation

The Bergen Shopping Addiction Scale has been validated in several studies. These studies have shown that the scale has good psychometric properties, including high internal consistency and test-retest reliability. The scale has also been shown to have good construct validity, as it correlates well with other measures of shopping addiction and related constructs.

Use

The Bergen Shopping Addiction Scale is used in both clinical and research settings. In clinical settings, it can be used to identify individuals who may have a shopping addiction and to monitor the progress of treatment. In research settings, it can be used to investigate the prevalence and correlates of shopping addiction in different populations.

Criticism

While the Bergen Shopping Addiction Scale is widely used and has been validated in several studies, it has also been criticized. Some critics argue that the scale is too broad and does not adequately capture the specific features of shopping addiction. Others argue that the scale is too narrow and does not capture the full range of behaviors associated with shopping addiction.

See also

• Compulsive buying disorder
• Addiction
• Psychometrics
• Cecilie Schou Andreassen
• University of Bergen

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