Charting The Affective Roots Of The Dark Side Of Consumer Behaviour: A Multimethod Exploration Of Emotions, Impulsivity, And Materialistic Tendencies

Abstract

This study advances a nuanced, dual-methodological inquiry into the psychological and cognitive antecedents underpinning the dark side of consumer behaviour. Drawing upon structural equation modelling (SEM) and bibliometric analysis, the investigation scrutinizes how emotional arousal, materialistic tendencies, and impulsive traits interact to shape ethically questionable consumption patterns. Empirical data comprising 405 structured responses—measured on a 7-point Likert scale—form the quantitative substrate, while bibliometric insights are derived from 2,466 scholarly outputs extracted from the Dimensions database, encompassing publications from 2004 to 2025. Confirmatory factor analysis affirms the psychometric validity of the constructs, with convergent and discriminant validity well established. The structural model exhibited conceptual harmony, reinforcing the theoretical underpinnings of the hypothesized relationships among latent constructs. The paths demonstrated consistent strength, directionality, and theoretical alignment, supporting the structural integrity and predictive relevance of the model's core constructs.949, RMSEA = .056, SRMR = .046), with all hypothesized paths attaining significance (p < 0.001). Concurrently, VOS viewer-enabled co-occurrence mapping reveals fragmented yet emergent scholarly attention to emotion-centric dark consumerism. This integrative study contributes to the theoretical corpus of consumer psychology and marketing ethics by unifying empirical evidence and bibliographic topology to elucidate the affective roots of consumer deviance.