The Influence of Passion and Compulsive Buying on Online Auction Addiction

This study examines the influence of harmonious passion and obsessive passion on online auction behavior and online auction addiction. It also investigates whether the individuals with compulsive buying behavior have spent more time on online auction web sites. The study conducted paper-and-pencil questionnaire and received 322 completed responses for data analysis. The results indicated that individuals with obsessive passion were more addictive to online auctions than those with harmonious passion, and the individuals with higher compulsive buying behavior spent more time on online auctions. Moreover, individuals with passion, both obsessive and harmonious, have a higher purchase frequency than those without passion, and individuals with pathological Internet use problem spend more time and had more purchase frequency on online auctions than others. These finding would be useful in exploring the reason why some Internet users are addictive to online auction activities.