The Psychology and Science Behind Women's Love for Shopping.

Hey everyone, it's my first time joining this awesome group. I've read the prompt, and I find it really interesting. With my background in psychology, I'd like to share my humble opinion on this topic.

I Hope you enjoy.

Source

You see, Shopping, isn't just about getting the stuff you need. For a lot of people, it's an experience that's tied to their emotions, thoughts, and even their bodies(biological).

But, The Question is:

Why do people feel this way?

It's not just because of what society says.

Let's look at psychology and biology to understand why women are interested in shopping in different ways.

Social Connection and Bonding:

Shopping goes beyond just acquiring some goods; it acts as a means to foster social relationships and bonding.

As humans, we are naturally social beings, and hence for women, shopping presents an opportunity to indulge themselves in communal activities with friends, family or even strangers.

Browsing through items, trying them on and giving opinions about how one looks creates a sense of friendship (camaraderie) among people which then strengthens their relationships. This aspect involves releasing good hormones like oxytocin that travel throughout the reward circuit making one feel good about herself.

Emotional Regulation:

For many women, shopping is an emotional regulation tool. Therefore, "Retail therapy" is a way of escaping stress, anxiety and even boredom for some people.

Psychologically, the act of choosing and acquiring items causes dopamine to be released into the brain which leads to pleasure and satisfaction.

Moreover, through fashion choices in shopping as well as reflecting one’s identity and creativity thus empowering the individual as well improving her selfconfidence.

Additionallu, shopping is said to awaken the reward pathway for dopamine in our brains from a neurochemical stand point.

Dopamine that is also known as “feel good” chemicals will be produced by her brain when it feels pleasure or expects reward. As far as making purchases is concerned.

I hope It's fascinating so far?

Ok, lets continue:

The evolutionary psychologist’s approach holds that women’s love for shopping may have roots in ancient behaviors such as resource acquisition and provision for families.

Women historically were responsible for getting necessity goods like food among others for their households through foraging, barter trading or eventually buying them at stores.

Such modern day shopping traits are driven by this inherent urge of collecting resources necessary for the welfare of loved ones, albeit being more consumerist related today than ever before.

Finally, Cultural Influences and Societal Expectations:

When it comes to women’s shopping habits, one has to consider the cultural influence and societal expectations. Girls from a tender age are usually socialized to appreciate looks, fashion and consumerism, as such promoting gender stereotype of women as enthusiastic shoppers.

The ideals are further reinforced by media, marketing and peer pressure which determine people's attitudes to shopping.

So in short, I believe that women’s love for shopping is a combination of many things, including society, biology and psychology.

Shopping is not just about buying; it can fill in emotional gaps or serve as a source of pleasure while releasing stress among other things.

A deeper understanding of what motivates women in their purchase decisions helps us understand human beings better and shows the complex ways that people negotiate today’s consumer world.

Thanks for having me:

I enjoy sharing what I learn as a person, and I always want to make sure my readers also feel this mutual connection. So hit me up with your thoughts or opinions on this topic or any of my blogisodes. I usually do a series I call blogisodes on StemSocial, where I talk about the little information I have regarding the human brain and human behavior. I'd love to go on that journey with all of you. Let's follow each other and have a beautiful day.

References:

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22618-oxytocin

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22581-dopamine

Posted Using InLeo Alpha