PERFORMANCE TASK 12 STEM

SUBJECT: Date Submitted:

RESEARCH PROJECT
Names: RATING:
Molinos, Sinead Margaret O.
Bondoc, Renoa Anne C.
Amador, Kathleen Jade

TITLE PROPOSAL
(culled from the Department of Education, Division of Capiz format. Retrieved from http://depedcapiz.ph/planning-
research.php)

Names of Proponents:
Molinos, Sinead Margaret Ochoco Surname, First Name Middle Name
09776411289 Contact Number
smomolinos.mnl@eac.edu.ph Email Address
Student, 12 STEM 1 Student, 12 STEM 1

Surname, First Name Middle Name

Contact Number
Email Address
Student, 12 STEM 1

PROPOSED TITLE:
“The Prevalence of Online Retail Therapy (Compulsive Online Shopping) among Teenagers as a
Coping Mechanism for Stress during Online Distance Learning”

I. Project Summary

Stress is something caused by an event or thoughts that might affect you emotionally,
psychologically or through a physical attention. It is also known as the response from a challenge that
leads your brain to be more alert, causing tension within your muscles, and increase of heart rate
(Medline Plus, 2021). Students are also prone and experiencing stress specially with their academics.
“Academic stress involves mental distress regarding anticipated academic challenges or failure or
even the fear of the possibility of academic failure.” (Thakkar, 2018). In the present period, the world
is experiencing global pandemic which led governments to prohibit face-to-face classes and instead,
utilize the new normal online distance learning. In line with academic stress and online distance
learning, Online shopping has been known to be one of the stress relievers or a coping mechanism
against stress practiced by students since going outside is advised to be reduced specially if not
necessary. Online shopping is a mode of buying stuffs through the use of technology and internet
online. The study entitled, “The Prevalence of Online Retail Therapy (Compulsive Online Shopping)
among Teenagers as a Coping Mechanism for Stress during Online Distance Learning” will talk about
the demographic profile, levels of stress, the common coping mechanism/s that is/are usually utilized,
and the prevalence of compulsive online shopping as a coping mechanism of the teenagers to relieve
stress during the online distance learning. 
 Many students have been suffering from academic stress during online distance learning due
to loads of work, unstable internet connection, financial problems, unavailability of resources etc. The
study conducted will help students to identify factors that causes them to experience stress, their
levels of stress, how are they going to manage it through coping mechanisms, and how will they be
able to prevent stress during online distance learning. Some students say that face-to-face classes is
much more effective than the online classes. Workloads are more than their learnings in this new
normal even though they are receiving good grades. The research will be able to help people to
understand this kind of dilemma and may be a basis for adjustments and guidance to reduce and
help for the prevention of stress among teenagers during online distance learning.
The participants chosen for this study are teenagers with ages between 16-19 years old since
this age range are known to be undergoing puberty or the adolescent period where in they are in the
process of understanding their selves and they are the most appropriate for the methodology of the
study. Due to the current situation of our country, the study will be conducted among Senior High
School students of Emilio Aguinaldo College – Manila but the data gathering procedure will be utilized
and garnered through the means of online survey platforms.
This study aims to determine if there is a prevalence of compulsive online shopping among
teenagers as a coping mechanism for stress. In order to collect the needed data, the researchers will
look for 50 teenager students that are compulsive online shoppers and those who use it as a coping
mechanism for stress. This study will also consider the demographic profile of the respondents which
are their sex, age, and grade level. In order to measure the respondents’ stress levels, the
researchers will adapt the Perceived Stress Scale from the study, “Write Your Own Prescription for
Stress” (Matheny, 2000). Then, the researchers will also need to determine the frequency of doing
Online Shopping by the teenagers followed by knowing how it would help them to ease their stress
through the adaptation and modification of the Bergen Shopping Addiction Scale (2015). After the
approval of the research advisor on the modified survey, the researchers will automatically proceed to
the data gathering procedure by the use of an online platform survey.

In order to analyze the data collected, the researchers will make use of descriptive statistics in
order to summarize the data collected in a simple numerical or visual form. To be more precise, the
researchers will add up the scores from each question to get the total score for each participant. The
researchers will then find the mean, or average, score and the standard deviation, or spread, of the
scores for the data collected. In order to prove that the stress levels of the teenagers affect their
compulsive online shopping behaviors, the researchers will make use of parametric tests such as
Pearson’s r correlation or t-tests. After the data is analyzed by the researchers, the researchers will
then interpret the results and use graphs or charts in order to summarize the data collected.

This study will greatly benefit a number of people like the teenagers which are the researchers’
main respondents, the parents, psychologists as well as the future researchers. It is important to
conduct this study since it will greatly benefit the teenage population and that is due to the fact that
online shopping is an unhealthy coping mechanism and so this study may serve as a wake-up call for
the teenagers since if they consistently use online shopping to cope with distress, it can become a
less than ideal way of dealing with what’s troubling them since the temporary mood boost associated
with shopping can prevent them from seeking help that would offer more significant and long lasting
benefits (Healthline, 2020). This study will also benefit the parents since they can serve as the
mediator for the teenagers once it is proven that there is a prevalence of compulsive online shopping
among their age group. The parents can also serve as their guidance to find a better way of dealing
with stress. The psychologists are also beneficiaries of the researchers’ study since this study is in
line with their work and if it is proven that there is a prevalence of compulsive online shopping among
teenagers as a coping mechanism for stress, professionals like psychologists can conduct seminars
in order for people to understand that this is happening and relevant and they can also serve as the
last resort if the compulsive online shopping worsens. Lastly, this study will greatly benefit the future
researcher since the future researchers can gain knowledge from reading this study and they can use
the paper as a basis when conducting a new study, as well as to formulate a new title with different
participants and/or methodology. Once the study proves that there is a prevalence of compulsive
online shopping among teenagers as a coping mechanism for stress, the future researchers can use
this paper as a basis in order to formulate a new study that may be done qualitatively instead of
quantitatively and they may also use new respondents like the adults.

II. Background of the study

Explain what needs/problems you are trying to solve, and why these needs/problems are worth
solving. You should also provide a brief setting and history behind the project. This section should be
no more than a page. Include references to supporting documentation, such as project design or lay-
out. This information can be placed in the Index.

III. Objectives of the Study

This study aims to identify the prevalence of online retail therapy (compulsive online shopping)
among teenagers as a coping mechanism for stress during online distance learning. Specifically, this
study aims to:
 Determine the stress level of teenagers during online distance learning.
 Identify how often the teenagers go online shopping.
 Determine if there is a prevalence of compulsive online shopping among teenagers that use it
as a coping mechanism for stress during online distance learning.

IV. Methodology

This study is delimited to 50 teenagers (aged 16-19 years old) who use compulsive online
shopping as a coping mechanism for stress. This study will distribute surveys through online
platforms due to the situation that the whole world is in because of the pandemic. The researchers
will also collect the demographic profile of the students more specifically their sex, age, and grade
level. In order to measure the respondents’ stress levels, the researchers will adapt the Perceived
Stress Scale from the study, “Write Your Own Prescription for Stress” (Matheny, 2000). Then, the
researchers will determine their frequency of doing Online Shopping by distributing the modified and
adapted Bergen Shopping Addiction Scale (2015) survey.

In order to analyze the data collected, the researchers will make use of descriptive statistics
in order to summarize the data collected in a simple numerical or visual form. To be more precise, the
researchers will add up the scores from each question to get the total score for each participant. The
researchers will then find the mean, or average, score and the standard deviation, or spread, of the
scores for the data collected. In order to prove that the stress levels of the teenagers affect their
compulsive online shopping behaviors, the researchers will make use of parametric tests such as
Pearson’s r correlation or t-tests. After the data is analyzed by the researchers, the researchers will
then interpret the results and use graphs or charts in order to summarize the data collected.