When was the last time you saw something online or in a store and immediately thought, "I've got to have that?"

If you're in that group, you're part of the 54% of Americans who said they made an impulse purchase last holiday season, according to a new survey from Bankrate.

Of those surveyed, 46% of those surveyed said they made that purchase for a friend or family member, while only 28% made it for themselves.

"The only thing an impulse buy really is, is it's an unplanned purchase," said Darrin Duber-Smith, a marketing professor at Metropolitan State University of Denver.

RELATED STORY | Best apps to manage your money as the holiday shopping season ramps up

Duber-Smith said the phenomenon happens primarily due to emotions that have been "primed" by marketing companies. Through an influx of ads, marketers can tap into the subconscious of consumers. Then, when there's a sale or deal that makes the item seem even more enticing, the purchase is made without much thought.

"We're complicated," Duber-Smith said. "There's a lot of sociological, psychological, and situational, and marketing factors — really the four primary influences on consumer behavior."

Dan Cohen is one of those people. Last weekend, he bought a custom Philadelphia Eagles t-shirt after two of the team's defensive backs were shown wearing it ahead of their game against the Dallas Cowboys.

RELATED STORY | Holiday spending is expected to grow this year but at a rate slower than last, retail group says

"I think I've been drawn to buying Eagles merch because I feel such a strong emotional tie to the team, but also I'm not there," Cohen, a New Jersey native living in Kansas City, said. "Whether that's rational behavior is for someone else to tell me."

The Bankrate survey showed 44% of respondents made the impulse purchase because they thought it was a good deal. The next highest reported reason, according to 38% of respondents, was because they thought it would make a good gift for someone else.

To curb this type of spending, experts suggest budgeting for such purchases so the money is accounted for or waiting a day or two before revisiting the item to see if you still really want it.

Another way you can curb impulse spending is to buy in cash and only cash. Research shows it's much easier to mindlessly swipe a credit card than it is to hand over physical bills.