Money Attitude Scale – Chinese Version

Description

Research has found that individuals who value money fairly tend to have higher overall life satisfaction. Those who earn money through their own efforts and are cautious in their spending are more likely to affirm themselves: individuals who view money as a motivating factor and who agree on its actual value tend to have a higher level of life comfort. Therefore, individuals with a positive attitude towards money have a higher level of life satisfaction. Studies by Hong Lei and others have shown that, even after controlling for demographic variables such as age and gender, attitudes towards money can still predict subjective well-being across three indicators. Specifically, the power-prestige dimension positively predicts negative emotions; the maintenance-preservation dimension significantly positively predicts positive emotions and life satisfaction while negatively predicting negative emotions; distrust negatively predicts positive emotions while positively predicting negative emotions; and anxiety negatively predicts life satisfaction. Additionally, attitudes towards money do influence mental health; increased anxiety and distrust can create psychological pressure, leading to a decline in mental health levels. The research by Srivastava and colleagues highlights that money can lead to a decrease in subjective well-being through the pursuit of power. A lack of trust in money leads to doubt after spending it, which can influence subjective well-being through short-term emotional experiences. More distrust correlates with more negative emotional experiences, which suppress positive emotions. Anxiety represents a long-term doubt regarding having enough money, impacting long-term life satisfaction; if money becomes a source of anxiety, it can affect life satisfaction.

In 1982, the Money Attitude Scale, abbreviated as MAS, was developed by Yamauchi and Tepler and has been widely used both domestically and internationally. The questionnaire structure is currently the most stable, with the original English version containing 61 items. After continuous revisions by researchers, a 20-item scale was finalized, comprising four dimensions of money attitudes. Chinese scholar Hong Lei revised this scale and conducted reliability and validity tests. A team of doctoral psychology students translated and back-translated the scale. The final Chinese version was tested among 400 graduate students at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Li Li has used this scale in studies on attitudes towards money.

Authors and Contact Email

Information not available

Purpose

Information not available

Test Year

1982

Administration Method and Scoring

The Chinese version of the MAS includes four dimensions, which are: 维持保留维度 (Maintenance-Preservation Dimension), representing a tendency to spend money cautiously and plan finances for the future; 不信任维度 (Distrust Dimension), representing a skeptical attitude towards money; 权利名望维度 (Power-Prestige Dimension), representing the tendency to use money to influence others and view it as a marker of success; 焦虑维度 (Anxiety Dimension), representing anxiety when not having enough money. Each dimension contains 5 items, totaling 20 items, scored on a 5-point Likert scale. The internal consistency coefficient and test-retest reliability range between 0.6-0.72, and the structural validity meets the requirements of psychometrics.

Reliability and Validity

The internal consistency coefficient and test-retest reliability range between 0.6-0.72, and the structural validity meets the requirements of psychometrics.

Factors and Subscales

The four dimensions are:
1. 维持-保留 (Maintenance-Preservation): Focus on future financial planning
2. 不信任 (Distrust): Hesitant and skeptical attitude towards money
3. 权利-名望 (Power-Prestige): Money used as a symbol of success
4. 焦虑 (Anxiety): Money as a source of anxiety and a means to alleviate anxiety

Keywords

Money attitude, subjective well-being, mental health, anxiety, distrust

Items in Chinese

1. 我会为了未来而做财务规划
2. 我会定期地将钱存起来以备不时之需
3. 我会记录我花出去的钱
4. 我对花钱十分小心谨慎
5. 在我的经济状况不理想时我仍然有钱可应付开销
6. 我总是抱怨所购买的东西的价格
7. 当我发现在其他地方能够以更便宜的价格买到相同的东西时, 我总是感到很郁闷
8. 无论是否买得起, 我都经常自然地说“买不起”
9. 我总是舍不得花钱, 即使是购买必需品
10. 当进行一笔大额采购时, 我总是担心我被占便宜
11. 我会因为某件东西会吸引他人目光而去购买它
12. 我会利用金钱来使他人为我做事
13. 有时我会炫耀我的金钱和财富
14. 金钱是衡量成功的最佳标准
15. 我会比较尊重一个比我有钱的人
16. 我很难抗拒特价品的诱惑
17. 若错过一次特价大促销, 我会非常懊恼
18. 花钱的感觉真好
19. 当我没有足够的钱时, 我会感到烦躁不安
20. 当我的财务状况不稳定时我会感到忧虑

Items in English

1. I make financial plans for the future.
2. I regularly save money for unforeseen needs.
3. I keep track of my expenditures.
4. I am very careful and cautious about spending money.
5. Even when my financial situation is not ideal, I still have money to cover expenses.
6. I always complain about the price of things I purchase.
7. I feel very depressed when I find the same item available at a cheaper price elsewhere.
8. Regardless of whether I can afford it, I often say “I can’t afford it.”
9. I am always reluctant to spend money, even on necessities.
10. When making a large purchase, I always worry that I am being taken advantage of.
11. I will buy something because it attracts the attention of others.
12. I use money to get others to do things for me.
13. Sometimes I brag about my money and wealth.
14. Money is the best standard for measuring success.
15. I tend to respect someone who is wealthier than I am more.
16. I find it hard to resist the temptation of sales items.
17. If I miss a promotional sale, I feel very regretful.
18. It feels good to spend money.
19. When I don’t have enough money, I feel anxious and unsettled.
20. When my financial situation is unstable, I feel worried.

References

徐哲泉. 研究生金钱态度与主观幸福感的关系:控制感的调节作用[D]. 洪雷, 曹慧, 方格. 金钱态度、主观幸福感和心理健康的关系探讨[J]. 中国临床心理学杂志, 2009, 17(3):297-299.