Experimental analysis of the relationship between depressed mood and compulsive buying

► A two-study experiment into the mood compensation model of compulsive buying. ► Only control participants had memory facilitation for consumer items when depressed. ► Compulsive buyers associated items with emotional rather than functional constructs. ► Compulsive buyers associated objects less with functional constructs than controls. ► Provides experimental support for the role of mood in compulsive buying episodes.