ifting ▁are ▁controvers ial ▁among ▁research ers , ▁although ▁they ▁generally ▁agree ▁that ▁shop l if ters ▁are ▁driven ▁by ▁either ▁economic ▁or ▁psych oso cial ▁mot ives . ▁Psych oso cial ▁motiv ations ▁may ▁include ▁peer ▁pressure , ▁a ▁desire ▁for ▁thr ill ▁or ▁excitement , ▁imp ulse , ▁ste aling ▁because ▁judgment ▁is ▁cloud ed ▁by ▁into xic ation , ▁or ▁doing ▁so ▁because ▁of ▁a ▁comp ulsion . ▁De pression ▁is ▁the ▁psych iat ric ▁dis order ▁most ▁commonly ▁associated ▁with ▁shop l ifting . ▁Sh op l ifting ▁is ▁also ▁associated ▁with ▁family ▁or ▁mar ital ▁stress , ▁social ▁isol ation , ▁having ▁had ▁a ▁difficult ▁child hood , ▁alco hol ism ▁or ▁drug ▁use , ▁low ▁self - este em , ▁and ▁e ating ▁dis orders , ▁with ▁bul im ic ▁shop l if ters ▁frequently ▁ste aling ▁food . ▁Some ▁research ers ▁have ▁the or ized ▁that ▁shop l ifting ▁is ▁an ▁un cons cious ▁attempt ▁to ▁make ▁up ▁for ▁a ▁past ▁loss . ▁ ▁Research ers ▁have ▁found ▁that ▁the ▁decision ▁to ▁shop l ift ▁is ▁associated ▁with ▁pro - shop l ifting ▁att itudes , ▁social ▁factors , ▁opportun ities ▁for ▁shop l ifting ▁and ▁the ▁per ception ▁that ▁the ▁shop l if ter ▁is ▁unlikely ▁to ▁be ▁caught . ▁Research ers ▁say ▁that ▁shop l if ters ▁justify ▁their ▁shop l ifting ▁through ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁personal ▁narr atives , ▁such ▁as ▁bel ieving ▁they ▁are ▁making ▁up ▁for ▁having ▁been ▁victim ized ,