The effect of financial goal pursuit on trust and trustworthiness among Chinese college students: Demographic differentials

TL;DR

This study explores how pursuing financial goals affects trust and trustworthiness among Chinese college students, finding gender and urban/rural differences.

Contribution

The study introduces empirical evidence on how financial goal pursuit affects trust and trustworthiness, with demographic moderation effects in a Chinese context.

Findings

Dispositional financial goal pursuit is negatively associated with trust and trustworthiness among male and urban students.

Activating financial goal pursuit reduces trust, particularly among male and urban students.

No significant associations were found for female and rural students in the study.

Abstract

College students’ financial goal pursuit might have profound impacts on both individuals and society. Despite the well-established research on the impacts of financial goal pursuit on individuals’ well-being, direct investigations into its effects on trust and trustworthiness among college students are relatively limited, especially in the Chinese context. Moreover, studies explored individual variations that might moderate the effects of financial goal pursuit on trust and trustworthiness are rare.

This study examined the relationships between financial goal pursuit and trust and trustworthiness via an online survey (Study 1) and an experiment (Study 2) among 697 Chinese college students (289 in Study 1, 408 in Study 2) and explored the moderating roles of demographic variables, including gender, origin (urban versus rural), age, and family income. Financial goal pursuit was measured by Aspiration Index-6 in Study 1 and activated by images of luxury goods in Study 2. Trust and trustworthiness were measured by the classic investment game in both studies.

Study 1 showed significant negative associations between dispositional financial goal pursuit and trust and trustworthiness. These associations are only observed among male and urban students, with no significant associations found for female and rural students. Study 2 showed that activating financial goal pursuit could reduce trust and trustworthiness. Notably, the adverse effect on trust (but not trustworthiness) is more conspicuous among male and urban students.

This research accentuates the necessity for nuanced understanding in the realm of financial pursuits, interpersonal trust, and demographic variables, especially in rapidly evolving socio-economic contexts like China.

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