1. Introduction
Over the years, financial markets have undergone transformation,
and the ease of obtaining credit is growing in
many economies. In Brazil, for instance, economic growth
and inflation stability influence and reflect how people
handle money. The Brazilian reality of the 1980s forced
the population to consume all of their income so as not to
lose purchasing power due to high inflation rates, which
rapidly devalued the currency. However, buying habits
have changed, and in recent years Brazil has experienced
considerable growth in credit supply and an increase in
payment periods, generating expanded consumption.
Consumption is strongly associated with public and private
individual behavior, as it is influenced by the sense
of identity, well-being, relationships, and negotiation with
others that partly takes place through exchange of money
and material goods (Dittmar, 1996). According to Fournier
and Richins (1991), societies experience a period of compulsive
materialism, which contributes significantly to
social and individual indebtedness. Dynan and Kohn
(2007) argue that in a world without funding restrictions,
families have the freedom to choose the desired consumption,
based on the expected useful life of resources,
interest rates, and personal preferences and needs. Nevertheless,
the consequences of the attitudes and choices
of this new consumer model, the ‘‘excessive consumer’’,
should be examined, which can lead to a scenario of default
and debt.
Research on the causes of default points to unemployment
uncontrolled expenses and use of credit cards. Dynan
and Kohn (2007) state that using credit cards instead
of cash can increase family debt due to the commitment
established, which in most cases, is a long-term one.
Given this scenario, it becomes relevant to understand
the behavioral determinants of individual indebtedness. In
this study, six behavioral factors highlighted in the literature
as influencers of debt are considered: financial literacy,
risk perception, risk behavior, emotion, materialism,
and money values. Using these factors, the main objective
is to build a model of personal debt.