The International Journal of Indian Psychology

ISSN 2348-5396 (Online) | ISSN: 2349-3429 (Print)

Volume 8, Issue 4, Oct- Dec, 2020
DIP: 18.01.130/20200804, DOI: 10.25215/0804.130
http://www.ijip.in
Research Paper

The study of impulse buying behavior in context with age, gender

and marital status

Mitushi Sharma1, Radhika Rana2*, Shambhavi Tripathi3, Dr. Ashwini Kumar4

ABSTRACT
The aim of the study was to comprehend and examine the impulse buying behavior among
diverse age groups, gender, and marital status. It is a quantitative comparative study in which
a sample of 71 people living in North India was obtained using a questionnaire. The data was
analyzed with the help of relevant statistical techniques (Descriptive measures and ‘t’-test).
The results of the study demonstrate a significant difference among different age groups:
age(up to 30 / above 30), gender (male/female), marital status (unmarried/married). It was
found that females who were unmarried and were less than 30 years of age show more
impulse buying behavior paralleled to men. As less empirical evidence was found on the
effect of marital status on impulse buying behavior, thus, present research focused on the
impact of age, gender and marital status on impulse buying behavior.

Keywords: Impulse Buying Behavior, Quantitative, Comparative Study

S
hopping is an interesting concept which is influenced by several factors such as
choice, taste, mood, need, etc. Shopping is also influenced by impulse, which is a
sudden urge to seek something. Impulse buying is an impromptu purchase, where the
decision to buy the products is made instantaneous and that psychological trigger makes an
individual indulge in a spontaneous purchase. In today’s world one can easily observe the
increasing impulsive behavior around us. With increased accessibility and more choices, one
is tempted to buy more material and hence one can easily observe the increase in the
tendency of impulse buying behavior.

The earlier researches on Impulse Buying Behavior emphasized on the product and not on
the impulse purchase. Rook (1987) stated “Impulse buying is a curious phenomenon
wherein a person feels all of a sudden need to buy certain product which has high level of
desperation and is completely uncontrollable. Here an individual faces emotional dissonance
and is unable to understand and sometimes ignoring the future consequences” (Rook, 1987).

1
Student, Department of Applied Psychology, Ramanujan College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
2
Student, Department of Applied Psychology, Ramanujan College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
3
Student, Department of Applied Psychology, Ramanujan College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
4
Assistant Professor, Department of Applied Psychology, Ramanujan College, University of Delhi, New Delhi,
India
*Responding Author
Received: December 04, 2020; Revision Received: December 17, 2020; Accepted: December 31, 2020
© 2020, Sharma M., Rana R., Tripathi S. & Kumar A.; licensee IJIP. This is an Open Access Research distributed
under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0),
which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any Medium, provided the original work is
properly cited.
 The study of impulse buying behavior in context with age, gender and marital status

It was defined by Rook and Gardner (1993) as “an unplanned behavior involving quick
decision-making and a tendency for immediate acquisition of the product” (Rook D. G.,
1993). Beatty and Ferrell (1998) stated that impulse buying behavior refers to an instant
purchase which is without any planning either to buy a particular product or to satisfy a need
(Beatty, Impulse

Buying: Modeling Its Precursors, 1998).They found that it is a type of behavior that occurs
after feeling a desire to purchase the product and it does not occur when the product
unavailable(Beatty, Impulse Buying : Modeling Its Precursors, 1998). Luo (2005) stated that
an individual tends to indulge in impulse buying behavior when they shop with people who
are close to their age group as compared to when they shop with their family members (Luo,
2005). Kaur et al.(2007) stated that Indian youth shows impulse buying behavior due to the
stimulation of senses experienced in shopping(Kaur, 2007).

Impulse buying behaviour have been studied in many contexts. Some of the researches can
be seen as follows-
Age has been said to affect the impulse buying behavior. Bellenger, Robertson, and
Hirschman (1978) found that impulse buying behavior was more evident in the age group of
18 to 39 years of age and a decline in this behavior was observed in the increasing age
groups(Bellenger D. R., Impulse buying Varies by Products, 1978).A research by
Bhuvaneswari and Krishnan (2015) found that while marital status was not affectivein
determining impulse buying behavior whereas age and gender were shown to be a factor
affecting impulse buying behavior (Bhuvaneswari, 2015).A study by Jain (2016) found that
age had a negative correlation to impulse buying behavior and it was found that the
participants in the sample who were in the range of 24 years to 35 years were more likely to
indulge in impulse buying behavior than the senior participants(Jain, 2016).

Impulse buying behavior is also affected by gender. A study by Jamal et al.(2015)stated that
females have a higher tendency to engage in impulse buying behavior than males (Jamal,
2015).Gandhi et al. (2015) stated that females involve more in impulse buying behavior
when compared with males (Gandhi A. , 2015). Moreover, engaging in impulse buying
tends to improve women’s mental health. (Gandhi A. V., 2015). In another study by
Ozdemir and Arkcay (2019) it was seen that the females who also identified with a feminine
gender more likely to positively correlate to the impulse buying behavior as compared to
males who had a masculine gender (Ozdemir, 2019).

Marital status has also been seen as a contributing factor in the tendency to involve in
impulse buying behavior. Richins et al. (1992) pointed out that married consumers have an
obligation towards people close to them (Children and partners) and hence resist the
tendency for impulsive behavior and are less likely to show impulse buying behavior than
unmarried consumers (Richins M. a., 1992). Geetha and Bharadwaj (2016) stated that single
people spend more than people who are married; hence the involvement in impulse buying
behavior is high. As married people have responsibilities on them, that is, they have to take
care of their children, therefore, they restrain themselves on the resources which are
available (Geetha M. B., 2016).

Need for the study

During review of literature, it was found that demographic variables such as gender and age
plays an important role in influencing impulse buying behavior. But it was also seen that
there are few studies on marital status in relation to impulse buying behavior. Hence, it was
© The International Journal of Indian Psychology, ISSN 2348-5396 (e)| ISSN: 2349-3429 (p) | 1201
 The study of impulse buying behavior in context with age, gender and marital status

decided to study the role of age, gender and marital status in affecting impulse buying
behavior.

Objective of the study

The objective of the study was “to study the effect of Impulse Buying Behavior on different
age groups, gender and marital status”.

Hypotheses
The hypothesis was formed on the basis of the three demographic variables used in the
study- age, gender and marital status.

1. Age
H1O: “There is no significant difference in impulse buying behavior due to age.”
H1A: “There exists a significant difference due to age as people below 30 show impulse
buying behavior more than age people above the age 30.”

2. Gender
H2O: “There is no significant difference in impulse buying behavior due to gender.”
H21: “There exists a significant difference due to gender as females show more impulse
buying behavior than males.”

3. Marital Status
H3O: “There is no significant difference in impulse buying behavior due to marital status.”
H31: “There exists a significant difference due to marital status as married people exhibit
more impulse buying behavior than unmarried people.”

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The study applies a quantitative approach to study Impulse buying behavior in context with
age, gender and marital status. The independent variable was “impulse buying behavior”.
The dependent variables in the study were “age, gender and marital status”. The variables
used in the study are described below:

VARIABLE CATEGORIES
Independent Variable Impulse Buying Behavior
Dependent Variable Age Below 30
Above 30
Gender Male Female
Marital Status Unmarried Married

The sample was collected through a standardized questionnaire which consisted of 48 items
that used the likert scale as well as multiple-choice questions format. The questionnaire was
sent electronically to the participants. The data of 71 individuals were collected through
purposive sampling which consisted of both males and females, residing in North India. The
research design is descriptive and analytical where in Statistical Package for Social Sciences
(SPSS) IBM 2.0 version was used to analyze the data with the help of ‘t’-test.

RESULT AND INTERPRETATION

The questionnaire was filled by 71 participants. The data was recorded in numerical form
which was further analyzed through Statistical Package for Social Sciences. An
“independent t-test” was applied individually to the groups. Figure 1 shows the sample

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 The study of impulse buying behavior in context with age, gender and marital status

distribution among the demographic variables age, gender and marital status used in the
study.

Figure 1: “Frequency of demographic variables used in the study”

Figure 1 shows the frequency of demographic variables- age, gender and marital status
among 71 participants in each variable respectively.
The tables below show the cross tabulation among the three variables.
Table 1: “Age and Marital status cross tabulation”
Age Marital status Total
(in years) Married Unmarried
Less than 30 3 35 38
More than 30 33 0 33
Total 36 35 71

Table 1 indicates “age and marital status cross tabulation”, which shows that 3 people who
are below 30 years of age are married and 33 people who are above 30 years of age are
married. It also shows that 35 below 30 years of age are unmarried.

Table 2: “Marital status and Gender cross tabulation”

Marital status Gender Total
Male Female
Married 21 15 36
Unmarried 11 24 35
Total 32 39 71

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 The study of impulse buying behavior in context with age, gender and marital status

Table 2 depicts “marital status and gender cross tabulation”. It indicates that 21 males are
married and 10 males are unmarried. It also shows that 15 females are married and 24
females are unmarried.

Table 3: “Gender and Age cross tabulation”

Gender Age (in years) Total
Less than 30 More than 30
Male 12 20 32
Female 26 24 39
Total 38 33 71

Table 3 depicts “gender and age cross tabulation”, which shows that 12 males lie below 30
years of age and 26 females lie below 30 years of age. And 20 males are above 30 years of
age whereas 13 females are above 30 years of age.

Table 4: “Summary of independent sample t - test”

Variable Sub-categories Mean + SD ‘t’-value p-value
Age Less than 30 121.684+14.852
More than 30 134.000+14.276 -3.548 .001***
Gender Male 137.156+13.349
Female 119.410+12.879 5.683 .000***
Marital Status Married 133.055+14.739
Unmarried 121.600+14.783 3.269 .002**
***p <.001 **.001 <p<.01

Table 4 shows “summary of independent sample t- test”. The data was collected through
inferential statistics. It indicates lower the mean, more impulse buying behavior. The results
show that in the given sample, the t-values for all the variables (age, gender and marital
status) showed difference in terms of the groups within the variables, and the results were
significant in terms of the p-value.

DISCUSSION
The aim of the study was to “To study the effect of Impulse Buying Behavior on different
age groups, gender and marital status”. To fulfill the objective of the study, a standardized
questionnaire was used for data collection through which a sample of 71 individuals residing
in North India was obtained. After collecting the sample, data was analyzed through
statistical techniques (Descriptive measures and ‘t’- test).

The data was logged in Statistical Package for Social Sciences IBM 2.0 version. Then, ‘t’-
test was applied individually to the population in groups. It showed that people who were less
than 30 years of age display more impulse buying behavior than people who were above 30
years of age. It was because the mean of people below 30 years was found to be 121.6842,
which was less than mean of people above 30 years, that is, 134.0000. Therefore, lower the
mean, more the impulse buying behavior. Thus, the null hypothesis (“There is no significant
difference in impulse buying behavior due to age”) was rejected and the alternative
hypothesis (“There exists a significant difference due to age as people below 30 show
impulse buying behavior more than age people above the age 30”) was retained.

After applying ‘t’-test on the group of gender, a significant difference was found between
males and females. The mean of male group was found to be 137.1563 and female group

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 The study of impulse buying behavior in context with age, gender and marital status

was 119.4103. The low mean of females indicates that they indulge more in impulse buying
behavior than males. Hence, the null hypothesis (“There is no significant difference in
impulse buying behavior due to gender”) was rejected and the alternative hypothesis (“There
exists a significant difference in impulse buying behavior due to gender”) was retained.

The ‘t’-test was also applied on the demographic variable of marital status. A significant
difference was found where in the mean of married individuals was 133.0556 and mean of
unmarried individuals was 121.6000. It implies that the mean of unmarried individuals was
less than married individuals. It means that unmarried indulge more in impulse buying
behavior than married individuals. Hence, the null hypothesis (“There is no significant
difference in impulse buying behavior due to marital status”) was rejected and the
alternative hypothesis (“There exists a significant difference due to marital status as married
people exhibit more impulse buying behavior than unmarried people”) was retained.

The result of the study can be supported by other researches. The studies relating age with
impulse buying behavior found that people among the age group of 18 to 39 years, females
displayed more impulse buying behavior as compared to males (Bellenger R. H., 1978). It
was found that younger people falling between 18 to 39 years of age have low self-control,
leading to impulse buying behavior (Kacen, 2002). In reference to gender, Ekeng (2012)
stated that females exhibit more impulse buying behavior due to their extemporaneous
nature as compared to males (Ekeng, 2012). It was also found that females who have high
self-confidence can find it easy to interact with the seller, which lead to impulse buying
behavior (Mallalieu, 2006). A study conducted in Chandrapur city stated that women engage
in impulse shopping because they are highly influenced by the advertisements shown on
television and lead to high purchase of FMCG products (Sonkusare, 2013).In reference to
marital status, pointed out that unmarried individuals displayed more impulse buying
behavior because they do not have any dependency on others (Richins D. , 1992). Geetha
and Bharadwaj (2016) stated that single people spend more than people who are married;
hence the involvement in impulse buying behavior is high. As married people have
responsibilities on them, that is, they have to take care of their children, therefore, they
restrain themselves on the resources which are available (Geetha M. &., 2016). The results
of these studies are in line with the present study.

CONCLUSION
The goal of the study was to explore and analyze the effect of age, gender and marital status
on the tendency of individuals who are expected to exhibit impulse buying behavior.It can
be concluded that age, gender and marital status are plausible factors of the tendency of
impulse buying behavior. Therefore, it was found that female participants, participants
below 30 years of age and unmarried participants are more likely to exhibit impulse buying
behavior as compared to male participants, participants above 30 years and married
participants respectively.

Implications
The study can be applied in the field of marketing and advertising. It will help the sellers to
learn about consumer behavior among people of diverse age groups and gender. The present
study focused on impulse buying in an organized store in general. It can be extended to other
sectors like consumer durables, jewelry, apparel, cosmetics, grocery, home appliances and
others.

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 The study of impulse buying behavior in context with age, gender and marital status

The present study was limited to North India. It can further be beneficial for studying the
impact of impulse buying behavior in accordance with age, gender and marital status within
India or among different countries. Culture is another variable that can be considered in
studying its relation with impulse buying behavior. For future research, personal aspects
such as lifestyle, ethnicity and class can also be investigated to differentiate between the
consumers and prospect at what point impulsive buying behavior turns out to be compulsive.

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 The study of impulse buying behavior in context with age, gender and marital status

Acknowledgement
The author appreciates all those who participated in the study and helped to facilitate the
research process.

Conflict of Interest
The author declared no conflict of interest.

How to cite this article: Sharma M., Rana R., Tripathi S. & Kumar A. (2020). The study of
impulse buying behavior in context with age, gender and marital status. International Journal
of Indian Psychology, 8(4), 1200-1207. DIP:18.01.130/20200804, DOI:10.25215/0804.130

© The International Journal of Indian Psychology, ISSN 2348-5396 (e)| ISSN: 2349-3429 (p) | 1207