Money attitudes (MAS)
The Money Attitude Scale (MAS) maps how you relate to money on four research-validated dimensions rather than sorting you into a single type: Power-Prestige (money as status and influence), Retention-Time (careful, future-focused saving and planning), Distrust (suspicion and hesitation in money decisions) and Anxiety (money as a source of worry and of security). Developed by Yamauchi and Templer in 1982, it captures the emotional and motivational side of money — not how much you have, but what it means to you. The linked course teaches this through the closely related money scripts framework (Klontz), which keeps finding the same four-way pattern in how people relate to money.
The Money Attitude Scale (Yamauchi & Templer, 1982) is a validated 29-item psychometric measure of the meaning money holds for a person, with four factors — Power-Prestige, Retention-Time, Distrust and Anxiety. A reflective self-ID, not a financial or clinical assessment. (Money Attitude Scale (MAS))
Dimensions
- Power-Prestige (Money ≠ status – Money = status) — Leaning high means treating money as a sign of success and a tool for status, recognition and influence — spending to impress and measuring yourself against others by it; leaning low means money has little to do with status or your sense of worth.
- Retention-Time (In the moment – Careful planner) — Leaning high means managing money carefully and for the future — budgeting, tracking spending, saving and planning ahead; leaning low means living more in the present and watching your finances less closely.
- Distrust (Trusting – Distrustful) — Leaning high means feeling hesitant, suspicious and doubtful in money matters — second-guessing purchases and worrying you're being overcharged or not getting fair value; leaning low means feeling confident and at ease with money decisions.
- Anxiety (At ease – Anxious) — Leaning high means money is a source of worry — feeling anxious about spending and about not having enough, while also looking to money for protection and peace of mind; leaning low means money rarely stirs anxiety for you.
References
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