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Interactional Associations of Gender on Savings Behavior: Showing Gender’s Continued Influence on Economic Action

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Abstract

This study looks at how gender relates to a critical economic behavior—savings activity. We start with the proposition that gender is not merely an additional variable to explain savings choices. Gender is the primary type of social categorization in the U.S. today. Therefore, other variables will be differently relevant to savings depending on gender. We use a national survey, the 2006 Economic Decision Making Survey conducted by Michigan State University’s Institute for Public Policy and Social Research, to examine the proposition. Basic frequencies reveal nonsignificant differences in savings participation across gender, but regression analysis including interactions of gender with other key variables reveals that multiple aspects of individuals’ lives are influenced by gender to predict savings plan participation.

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Acknowledgment

This research was supported by the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station and USDA/CSREES National Research Initiative Competitive Grant Number 2005-35401-16000.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work, Central Michigan University, 142 Anspach Hall, Mount Pleasant, MI, 48859, USA

    Elizabeth Ann Whitaker

  2. Sociology Department, Michigan State University, 317 Berkey Hall, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA

    Janet L. Bokemeiner

  3. Department of Agricultural, Food And Resource Economics, Michigan State University, 202 Agriculture Hall, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA

    Scott Loveridge

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  1. Elizabeth Ann Whitaker
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Correspondence to Elizabeth Ann Whitaker.

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Whitaker, E.A., Bokemeiner, J.L. & Loveridge, S. Interactional Associations of Gender on Savings Behavior: Showing Gender’s Continued Influence on Economic Action. J Fam Econ Iss 34, 105–119 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10834-012-9307-2

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