Relación entre actitudes hacia el endeudamiento y el locus de control del consumidor en estudiantes universitarios de la ciudad de Guayaquil.

Abstract

Indebtedness has great impact on quality of life, and this is why it is necessary to understand the variables that underlie this behaviour. In this regard, the locus of control has been identified as an important psychological variable that could be related to attitudes towards debt and therefore, with the behaviour of the credit use in young people. This paper sought to determine whether there is a relationship between consumer locus of control and attitudes toward debt in Ecuadorian college students of pedagogy undergraduate programs. The sample included 400 students from universities in Guayaquil. The Consumer Locus of Control Scale was validated and adapted to the ecuadorian context in order to carry out data collection. The Consumer Locus of Control Scale analysis indicated the need to abandon the one-dimensionality of the scale, thereby giving rise to a new 3-factor solution. Finally, and in accordance with the general hypothesis of the study, more tolerant attitudes toward indebtedness are associated with an external locus in terms of consumption. The results provide evidence that supports the theoretical relationship between the attributes of control and attitudes towards debt, and constitute a relevant input for the design of financial education strategies in young people, emphasis also placed in considering the influence of psychological variables, and not just the financial content, if significant changes are expected in the behaviour.