Attitudes toward Money and Demographic Variables as Related to Income and Life Satisfaction: USA Vs. Spain.

A study of 207 faculty at a state university in the southeastern United States and 102 faculty members at the University of Valencia (Spain) examined demographic variables and attitudes toward money, income, and life satisfaction. Demographic variables (sex, age, education, marital status, race, current job experience, total work experience, and number of job changes) and money attitudes (using factors titled budget, evil, equity, success, and motivator) were used to predict self-reported income and life satisfaction. Using a five-point scale, participants rated their satisfaction with personal/family life and life as a whole. Multiple regression analyses showed that predictors of income for Americans were: age, equity, gender (male), budget, and education; for the Spanish sample, work experience, education, evil, and sex were predictors of income. In both samples, married professors reported higher life satisfaction. In measuring life satisfaction, other predictors for the American sample were intrinsic job satisfaction, success, sex, and level of education. For the Spanish sample predictors were extrinsic job satisfaction, and age. High income Spanish faculty tended to believe that money does not lead to unethical behavior and that money is not evil. Two appended tables provide statistical data; also appended is the money ethic scale used for measurement. (Contains 36 references.) (CH)