A COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL MODEL OF COMPULSIVE HOARDING

Compulsive hoarding is a little studied phenomenon within the research literature. The information available on compulsive hoarding is diver se and not well integrated. In the present article we propose a tentat ive cognitive-behavioral model of compulsive hoarding. The purpose of such a model is to provide a framework for the development and testing of hypotheses about compulsive hoarding. In this model hoarding is co nceptualized as a multifaceted problem stemming from: (1) information processing deficits; (2) problems in forming emotional attachments; (3 ) behavioral avoidance; and (4) erroneous beliefs about the nature of possessions. Specific hypotheses about each of these are discussed.