Journal of Economic Psychology 14 (1993) 1-15.
Abstract
The purpose of the current study is to explore relations
between personality traits and individual preferences for
resources. For measuring resource preferences a German version of
the "Inventory of Wishes for Interpersonal Resources"
(Persönliche Wunschvorstellungen - PW) was used which is
based on Foa's taxonomy of resource classes. The test was
administered to a stratified sample of 183 subjects. Four groups
(clusters) of persons were found: Group A was characterized by
preferences for love, status, and information (idealistic,
particularistic), group B by high preferences for goods and money
(materialistic, non-particularistic), group C by high preferences
for status, love, and goods, and group D by high preferences for
love and money. The cross validation of clustering (discriminant
analysis) resulted in a correct classification of 86 percent, a
number far greater than chance. Additional to the resource
preference questionnaire a personality test was administered to
the subjects, measuring sixteen first order personality factors
and five second order factors. An overall MANOVA using personality
factors as dependent variables and the four clusters as
independent showed a significant main effect. By means of an ANOVA
significant differences between the four clusters were found for
nine personality factors, most of them between the clusters A and
B. Further the results confirmed the hypothesis that the
differences between the four clusters first of all could be
explained by so-called interpersonal personality factors.