Cognitive and social correlates of saving behavior in early childhood and adulthood

Abstract

Savings play a crucial role in keeping the balance between income and expenses. However, individuals struggle to save and mostly end up with less savings than they have expected. Long-standing research on adults’ savings revealed that several psychological factors support their saving behavior. Yet less is known about children’s savings. Study 1 attempted to explore the development of saving behavior and psychological factors supporting preschool children’s savings. Study 2 tested the exact relations with college students and non-student adults in a community sample. In Study 1, 72 preschool children participated in a series of behavioral tasks, and their parents completed questionnaires about their child. In Study 2, 113 college students and 192 non-student adults participated in a survey study. Study 1 showed that preschool children’s saving behavior was associated with age, episodic foresight, executive function, and planning. Episodic foresight predicted an increase in children’s savings. Planning predicted the actualization of saving intention and executive function predicted an adaptive engagement in saving behavior. In Study 2, students reported higher perceived saving behavior than non-student adults. In both samples, future orientation, budgeting, and childhood saving behavior were revealed as predictors of adults’ perceived saving behavior. Inconsistent findings across studies and future implications were discussed.