About This Project
Money arguing is number one when predicting divorce, says the Institute of Personal Financial Planning. Is personality type related to money behavior? If so, maybe we can reduce arguing by understanding how different personality types use money. This research aims to show that personality type significantly correlates with one's financial behavior in six areas so counselors can reduce money arguments and save a marriage.
Ask the Scientists
Join The DiscussionWhat is the context of this research?
Clarksville Behavioral Health is developing the Money Behavior Assessment (MBA) to aid financial therapists help their married clients achieve a better financial outcome when conflicting views about money occur in hopes of strengthening the marriage.
The MBA describes behaviors of spending, saving, budgeting, shopping, communication, and risk tolerance with money in effort to reveal how one's personality type influences financial decisions. It is based on dimensions of Introversion/Extroversion, Intuitive/Sensing, Feeling/Thinking, and Perceptual/Judgement.
What is the significance of this project?
The number one reason for divorce is related to finances and fiscal behaviors, according to researcher and former board member Sonya Britt, PhD of Kansas State University's Financial Therapy Association. She states that, "...longitudinal data from the National Survey of Families and Households and both wife- and husband-reported data (N = 4,574 couples)...[showed that]...both wives' and husbands' financial disagreements were the strongest disagreement types to predict divorce." She continues to say that "These findings suggest that financial disagreements are stronger predictors of divorce relative to other common marital disagreements."
What are the goals of the project?
First, we need people!
Married couples ages 25-55 who argue about money
Second, we need enough people!At least four people (two male and two female) for each of the 16 personality types
Third, we need enough people giving us the green light!
Participants complete the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, read and rate each MBA section via Likert scale, and analyze their ratings for correlations. Rinse and repeat until statistical significance achieved!
Once done, we can deploy this tool for experiments in reducing money arguments and see if it helps reduce rates of divorce.
Budget
MBTI Licensing
The MBTI is published by CPP. It is the world's most trusted personality assessment because it is:
- Easy to grasp, insightful, and thought provoking
- Reliable and valid, backed by ongoing global research and development investment
- Highly flexible in terms of administration options and applications
- Available in 20+ languages—with new translations in the pipeline and with culturally appropriate norms for each country for which a translation is available
- Backed by excellent support and guidance through CPP's global distributor network
- Cost per administration is $15.95 plus tax for up to 99 administrations.
Participant Compensation
We need at least 4 participants (2 male and 2 female) for each of the 16 personality types. That means a minimum of 64 participants whom we would pay $10.00 each.
Statistical Analysis
We need a statistician to set up data collection protocols and analysis.
Meet the Team
Team Bio
Dr. James Dodson is a licensed clinical psychologist with over 15 years experience. With degrees from Baylor University and FIT and an internship at Vanderbilt University, Dr. Dodson uses evidence-based approaches when addressing behavioral health issues.
Using a problem-focused approach based on cognitive behavioral therapies, Dr. Dodson strives to combine common sense with personal sensitivity to any clinical issue. He has worked in a variety of areas including bariatrics, geriatrics, sleep medicine, pharmaceutical research, cognitive testing, health psychology, and general psychotherapy.
James Maures Dodson, PsyD
Dr. James Dodson is a licensed clinical psychologist with over 15 years experience. With degrees from Baylor University and FIT and an internship at Vanderbilt University, Dr. Dodson uses evidence-based approaches when addressing behavioral health issues. He has served on the editorial board for the Journal of Financial Therapy since 2009.
Using a problem-focused approach based on cognitive behavioral therapies, Dr. Dodson strives to combine common sense with personal sensitivity to any clinical issue. He has worked in a variety of areas including bariatrics, geriatrics, sleep medicine, pharmaceutical research, cognitive testing, health psychology, and general psychotherapy.
Additional Information
Here's an example...
Overall View of Money
Individuals with this personality type typically view money with an external focus on others. Financial matters are almost always viewed from a personable and human perspective...
Spending Behavior
Spending is almost always based on others' needs or to extract the best out of others. Spending on oneself is secondary. Frivolous spending, when it occurs...
Suggestions for Change: It's usually easier to simply spend to help meet a need as opposed to actually dealing directly with the need (i.e. giving money to a beggar as opposed to giving them food and shelter). If someone in need...
Shopping Behavior
When shopping, this type of person usually seeks out the busiest stores or stores where they expect many people to shop. To this type of person, shopping can be...
Suggestions for Change: It's easy to associate socializing with shopping and spending. But when money is tight and the urge to shop becomes strong, remind yourself...
Budgeting Behavior
A person with this personality type may not include items in the budget that appear “selfish" (unrelated to helping others). Also, budget items that interfere or reduce her abilities to help others can...
Suggestions for Change: If this type of person resists or is defensive about a budget item, it might relate to a belief that the item's inclusion could have adverse effect on others. A person of this type...
Saving Behavior
Saving is an opportunity to invest in others. Logical and analytical reasons for saving will not likely motivate a person of this type to save. No matter how sound and clear the logic is...
Suggestions for Change: Because saving for others' benefit is easy, a person of this type would easily use this strategy as part of her savings plan. The more difficult challenge is...
Communication About Money Issues
Others may view a person with this personality style as personable and very good at getting others to participate in things. When talking about money matters...
Suggestions for Change: Before discussing an answer, an ENFJ should announce to the other person her intentions of needing to verbalize her logic...
Risk Tolerance for Personality Type
This personality type has a Medium Low Tolerance to risk. An older female of this personality type has a slightly less...
Low Tolerance for Risk ↔ High Tolerance for Risk (Pessimistic) ↔ (Overconfident) _________________________________________________ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Project Backers
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