Final answer:
Compulsive consumer behavior is characterized by uncontrollable urges, which aligns with the behavioral economics view that consumer decisions can be influenced by emotions and cognitive biases, thus appearing irrational in traditional economic models.
Step-by-step explanation:
Unlike impulsive consumer behavior, compulsive consumer behavior is characterized by uncontrollable urges to make purchases. This contrast rests on the rationality of consumer behavior. Mainstream economists often regard behavior that doesn't align with utility-maximizing models as irrational, dismissing such actions as mere anomalies.
Yet, behavioral economics offers a different perspective, acknowledging that consumers' decisions are frequently influenced by emotions and cognitive biases, such as the tendency to perceive the pain of losing a dollar as greater than the pleasure of gaining one.