Exploring Attitudes and Predicting Intentions: Profiling Student Debtors Using an Extended Theory of Planned Behavior

This study was designed to investigate application of a theory of planned behavior, including involvement and decision-making style in predicting undergraduates' borrowing attitudes. We conducted interviews to explore antecedents of students' debt-consumption/borrowing attitudes. We employed exploratory factor analysis to identify attitudinal dimensions utilized in hierarchical regression as independent variables. The results suggest students regard themselves as good money managers, but lack control over borrowing and debt. Combining involvement and decision-making style as a style/involvement variable had a powerful mediating effect in predicting borrowing intention. Research suggests that grouping students, based on their involvement level with finance and decision-making style, into debtor types offers opportunities for more understanding of their debt-consumption intentions. Strategies are proposed for dealing with different debtor types.