Endorsement of Money Ethic and Protestant Work Ethic among Three Groups of Welfare Recipients.

Endorsement of the money ethic and the Protestant work ethic among past and present welfare recipients was examined in a study of three groups: 164 current recipients of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC); 159 individuals receiving AFDC while enrolled in various training programs; and 158 past AFDC recipients who are now employed. The 30-item Money Ethic Scale and Blood's 4-item scale measuring endorsement of the Protestant work ethic were administered to all three groups. Demographic data were also collected. The responses to both scales were subjected to exploratory factor analyses. Four factors determined money attitudes: good, success, evil, and budget. Employed welfare recipients tended to have higher incomes, longer job tenures, and more positive attitudes toward money than did welfare recipients regardless of whether they were in training. Most welfare recipients did not value money; rather, they took money for granted and considered it evil. Employed past welfare recipients no longer consider money evil. Welfare recipients in training programs had the strongest belief that money spent is money lost (wasted). As expected, employed past welfare recipients endorsed the Protestant work ethic more highly than the other two groups did. (Contains 49 references.) (MN)