Children growing up in a difficult climate can develop a troubled relationship with money. American researchers have looked into this question.
Posted at 6:00 a.m.
We know that a problematic childhood is very likely to follow us into adulthood. It can also have an impact on our behavior with money.
Several factors are decisive, specifies from the outset Emily Johnson, doctoral student at the University of Kentucky, co-signer of the study Past traumas: the impacts of negative childhood experiences on attachment, beliefs and behaviors towards money and financial transparency in adulthood.
The spectrum is wide: a childhood where there was physical or psychological abuse, neglect, money problems or simply the way expenses were approached within the family are likely to negatively influence our relationship. to the money later, specifies the researcher, joined Monday in Lexington.
Emily Johnson and her team already knew that difficult childhoods have an influence on adult life, including behavior with finances. “In therapy, we always look at the situation with this idea that our childhood influences our attitudes now,” says the researcher, who is continuing her studies in economics and family finances.
The family’s financial situation will also influence how we approach our expenses later.
“A child who grows up in an environment where he feels a lack of financial resources risks developing one of these two behaviors: he may have a feeling of lack and will be afraid to spend, for fear of running out of money; conversely, if his income is better as an adult, he might want to spend a lot on his social image. »
In this research, the notion of attachment is a key notion.
“We consider a notion of healthy attachment when the child feels comfortable and protected by the adults who have the responsibility, we read in the American study. He knows he can rely on these adults to meet his physical and emotional needs. This will translate later in life into his financial status. »
The good news is that the results of the analysis of the data collected conclude that children who have received adequate support become adults who will tend to spend less. But we shouldn’t conclude that a happy childhood is a foolproof protection against money problems, warns Emily Johnson: “On average, however, the risk is lower. »
Money and Marriage
The researchers were also interested in the money within the couple. They conclude that there is a link between attachment difficulties during childhood and the lack of transparency in the couple when it comes to finances.
A child who wondered if he could trust adults, including his own parents, will behave more suspiciously later, says Emily Johnson. “He’ll be less comfortable discussing finances openly with his partner,” she says. Communication will be difficult. »
But, says the researcher, herself a family and couple therapist, money problems are one of the main causes of divorce in the United States.
Spouses go to therapy when the couple is struggling, but rarely address financial issues, not seeing the connection between one and the other.
The same goes for individual therapies, where finances are rarely discussed, even if they concern the person who consults, specifies Emily Johnson.
So what to do if you suddenly realize that you have a behavioral problem with money and that it may come from a deficiency that goes back a long way?
“It’s never too late to see a psychologist,” replies Emily Johnson without hesitation. Ideally, a therapist who specializes in finance, or at the very least a professional who is comfortable discussing the subject. »
The three co-signing researchers on this study accessed data from 500 Americans in the age groups of 18 to 75 online, through the Amazon site Mechanical Turk, which provides a volunteer base.
The main limitation of the study, explains Emily Johnson, is the way participants perceive childhood trauma, and this is why she intends to continue research in this area, which is still relatively unexplored. She herself wants to take an interest in debt and the effect it can have on our well-being, our mood, our anxiety, even if it can contribute to cases of depression.