A conative approach to financial personality

Abstract

The article presents the empirical study results of the financial culture of the Hungarian population, which was conducted in the form of the target audience survey through the website of the Money Compass Foundation during 2015-2022. The task of the study was to create a data set that would help to investigate the basis of financial behavior and make it possible to assess its qualitative features typical for different age groups. The Likert scale was used for data processing in the questionnaires. The selection of judgments for the scale was carried out in the process of a pilot study, for which an initial list of uncontroversial, simple in wording, unambiguous for perception statements was created. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used to measure the internal consistency of questionnaire items. Free and anonymous online surveys, designed for adults, high school students and children, examine the financial behavior patterns of different age groups of respondents, their causes and consequences of these behaviors. This study presents the results of a survey of almost 50,000 respondents, which have been collected and processed since 2015. The components and development of financial personality in each age group were investigated by means of statistical analysis of answers. The study enables understanding of financial habits, attitudes, most specific problems and strategies to overcome these problems among Hungarians (youth, children and adults), reveals aspects of financial personality and helps map out those groups whose training and education in the field of personal finance is particularly important. The questionnaires developed by the authors help build the concept of financial personality, while offering survey participants ways to improve their financial culture and develop decision-making abilities. In the light of the obtained data, a seven-year state strategy to increase people's financial awareness was launched in Hungary, and economic education became a mandatory component of the national basic curriculum. Numerous educational organizations have used the results of the research when developing their training courses. The current goal of the research group is the wider internationalization of the questionnaire, which has so far been distributed only in Hungary, and translated into English and Ukrainian.

Keywords

• financial literacy
• financial behavior
• motivation
• survey
• validation