Purpose

The purpose of this study is to construct composite index variables of credit attitude using six attitudinal variables. This study also examines the relationship between consumer credit attitude and credit card debt behaviors.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used the pooled dataset of the 2010 and 2013 Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) released by the Federal Reserve Board. A total of 8,417 households were used as our analytic sample. The credit card indices were constructed using factor analysis with polychoric correlations. Factors of the credit card debt behaviors were estimated using hierarchical logistic regression models.

Findings

The results of factor analysis identified two credit attitude indices (wants and needs). The results of hierarchical logistic regression analyses show that the credit attitude indices have a positive influence on payment behaviors; households with more favorable attitudes about credit use for non-necessities (wants) were more likely to hold an outstanding credit card balance, have irregular payment practice and pay a revolving charge.

Originality/value

Although there is ample documentation in the literature of credit behavior, the current literature is deficient in some areas for not addressing unobserved consumer attitudinal dispositions. Further, the separate treatment of selected survey items or an additive scale of survey items has been widely used; however, this approach cannot capture multidimensional characteristics among attitudinal items if credit attitude is not necessarily unidimensional. In response to the shortfall in the extant literature on credit card behavior, this study examined multidimensional aspects of credit attitude as a determinant of credit card debt behavior through methodological justification. Implications for future research and practitioners are provided.

中文翻译：

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美国多维信用态度与信用卡债务行为

目的

本研究的目的是利用六个态度变量构建信用态度的综合指标变量。本研究还考察了消费者信用态度与信用卡债务行为之间的关系。

设计/方法/方法

本研究使用了联邦储备委员会发布的 2010 年和 2013 年消费者金融调查 (SCF) 的汇总数据集。共有 8,417 户家庭被用作我们的分析样本。信用卡指数是使用具有多变量相关性的因子分析构建的。使用分层逻辑回归模型估计信用卡债务行为的因素。

发现

因子分析的结果确定了两个信用态度指数（想要和需要）。层次逻辑回归分析结果表明，信用态度指数对支付行为有正向影响；对非必需品（需求）的信贷使用态度更积极的家庭更有可能持有未偿还的信用卡余额，有不规则的付款习惯并支付循环费用。

原创性/价值

尽管有关信用行为的文献中有大量文献，但目前的文献在某些领域存在不足，未能解决未观察到的消费者态度倾向。此外，选择调查项目的单独处理或调查项目的加法尺度已被广泛使用。然而，如果信用态度不一定是一维的，这种方法就不能捕捉态度项目之间的多维特征。针对现有关于信用卡行为的文献的不足，本研究通过方法论论证检验了作为信用卡债务行为决定因素的信用态度的多维方面。提供了对未来研究和从业者的启示。