This study explores how frugality and impulsivity mediate the relationship between resource scarcity and attitudes toward debt, and how these constructs are associated with financial stress. Adopting an exploratory approach, we assess scarcity pathways in financial decision-making and provide new evidence on self-regulation mechanisms under conditions of financial constraint.
Data were collected via an online survey of 582 participants residing in the United States. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to test the multiple mediation model and evaluate the relationships among constructs.
The analysis shows that positive attitudes toward debt are associated with greater financial stress and mediate the relationship between resource scarcity and financial stress. Impulsivity mediates the association between resource scarcity and attitudes toward debt, supporting one of the proposed scarcity pathways.
The study’s cross-sectional design limits causal inferences, and the US-based sample may affect generalizability. Future research could explore longitudinal designs, cultural contexts, and additional mediators to better understand high self-regulation pathways.
This study extends the scarcity route model by empirically examining the mediating roles of frugality and impulsivity. It highlights impulsivity’s strong association with financial stress and offers actionable insights for policymakers and financial educators aiming to reduce financial strain under resource scarcity.
