Measuring and exploring symbolic money meanings.

This paper develops a scale to explore the symbolic meanings of money. Individual differences in the meanings and uses of money represent a fundamental issue in marketing, potentially influencing a wide variety of behaviors. Four dimensions were found based on a literature review and subsequent testing. Achievement and status, respectively, examine the extent that an individual perceives money as a marker of accomplishment or prestige. Worry examines the extent that a person feels anxious about money, whereas security examines the extent that an individual values money as a means of protection from an uncertain future. These dimensions are theoretically grounded, empirically tested, and potentially serve as a bridge between more general personal values and more specific consumer behaviors. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc