BACKGROUND: The Compulsive Buying Scale is a short and easy-to-apply instrument, which comprises the main dimensions of the compulsive buying disorder, focusing on impulse control. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to validate and assess the reliability of the Brazilian version of the Compulsive Buying Scale. METHODS: To assess construct validity, a factor analysis with principal components extraction and Varimax rotation was conducted. The correlations between the CBS and measures for depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder were assessed with the Pearson coefficient, evaluating convergent and divergent validity. The internal consistency was measured using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. RESULT: The psychometric parameters of the Brazilian version of the CBS were satisfactory and the instrument was considered valid and reliable. The CBS showed an inversely correlation with other diagnostic scales for the compulsive buying disorder. Cronbach's alpha coefficient (0.86) was high, demonstrating a satisfactory reliability of the Portuguese CBS. DISCUSSION: Although the Brazilian version of the Compulsive Buying Scale is a short version with just a few items, the scale has excellent psychometric properties, presenting itself as an important tool to detect and evaluate compulsive buying disorder.
Compulsive behavior; psychometrics; psychiatric status rating scales; diagnosis
