The present study aims to investigate elementary school children’s self-control as an important aspect of their purchasing literacy in a simulated supermarket. To this end, 136 children were asked to shop on a limited budget and work through a given shopping list. We processed the data of this task in two ways: First, we combined process and product data into a common score for a differentiated assessment of task performance. Second, we derived theory-based behavioral indicators from the log data. By means of a structural equation model, we confirmed that the covariance between them could be explained by a factor of self-control. Within the structural equation model, we also investigated whether self-controlled behavior mediated the relationship between self-reported impulsivity and task performance. This could not be confirmed, even though self-controlled behavior was positively related to task performance. Self-control and impulsivity both correlated positively with a distrustful attitude toward advertising. Higher self-control was also significantly related to better monitoring one’s finances at the point of sale.

We present the results of a randomized intervention in schools to study how teaching financial literacy affects risk and time preferences of adolescents. Following more than 600 adolescents, aged 16 years on average, over about half a year, we provide causal evidence that teaching financial literacy has significant short-term and longer-term effects on risk and time preferences. Compared to two different control treatments, we find that teaching financial literacy makes subjects more patient, less present-biased, and slightly more risk-averse. Our finding that the intervention changes economic preferences contributes to a better understanding of why financial literacy has been shown to correlate systematically with financial behavior in previous studies. We argue that the link between financial literacy and field behavior works through economic preferences. In our study, the latter are also related in a meaningful way to students' field behavior.

We present the results of a randomized intervention in schools to study how teaching financial literacy affects risk and time preferences of adolescents. Following more than 600 adolescents, aged 16 years on average, over about half a year, we provide causal evidence that teaching financial literacy has significant short-term and longer-term effects on risk and time preferences. Compared to two different control treatments, we find that teaching financial literacy makes subjects more patient, less present-biased, and slightly more risk-averse. Our finding that the intervention changes economic preferences contributes to a better understanding of why financial literacy has been shown to correlate systematically with financial behavior in previous studies. We argue that the link between financial literacy and field behavior works through economic preferences. In our study, the latter are also related in a meaningful way to students' field behavior.

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