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A Generalizable Scale of Propensity to Plan

PtPPropensity to plan is a trait-level individual difference capturing the tendency to form intentions about future activities in advance of their execution, to think ahead about how goals will be accomplished, and to translate broad goals into specific action plans. Lynch et al. (2010) treat propensity to plan as a domain-general planning disposition that manifests in both financial and general life domains, distinguishing it from domain-specific planning constructs by demonstrating cross-situational generalisability. The scale encompasses: (1) financial planning propensity — the tendency to plan and budget for specific upcoming financial expenditures; and (2) general propensity to plan — the tendency to make plans for future activities, schedule activities in advance, and organise one's behaviour around anticipated future events.

14 items 2010 α 0.88–0.93 Free Lynch, J.G., Jr., Netemeyer, R.G., Spiller, S.A., & Zammit, A.

What it measures

A comprehensive individual-difference measure of planning propensity validated across financial and general time-use domains, developed specifically to address the lack of a domain-general planning trait measure in consumer and behavioural economics research. Lynch et al. (2010) validated the PtP across six studies demonstrating high internal consistency, confirmatory factor structure, and predictive validity across saving behaviour, debt management, vacation and time planning, and goal achievement. FPP is the most direct predictor of financial outcomes: saving rates, preparedness for expected expenditures, credit card balance management, and resistance to financial temptation. GPP predicts general time management effectiveness, task completion rates, and preparedness for non-financial goal pursuit. Both dimensions predict resistance to deadline effects, better budgeting accuracy, and lower susceptibility to resource slack illusions. The PtP is the dominant individual-difference measure in consumer financial decision-making research and is widely used as a moderator in studies of financial goal interventions, retirement savings nudges, and time-management communication.

Representative items

I make a plan for how to spend my money each month. (FPP)
I budget my money so I am prepared for large upcoming expenses. (FPP)
I plan out my activities a few days in advance. (GPP)
When I have a goal, I think about how I will reach that goal. (GPP)

Citation

Lynch, J.G., Jr., Netemeyer, R.G., Spiller, S.A., & Zammit, A. (2010). A generalizable scale of propensity to plan: The long and the short of planning for time and for money. Journal of Consumer Research, 37(1), 108–128.

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