Convenience or reckless spending? How mobile payment apps can help college students manage their money

Mobile payment service (MPS) apps are often used because they are convenient and easy to use. However, some people may not understand how MPS use could impact day-to-day finances or long-term financial well-being. This study seeks to explore the use of MPS apps among college students. It is hypothesized that MPS app use is related to factors such as ease of use, convenience, and financial behaviors, such as monitoring spending or paying bills on time. In the fall of 2021, 122 college students from the Southeastern United States responded to an online Qualtrics questionnaire related to preferences among MPS apps, frequency of their use, and spending and bill-paying financial behaviors in the last 6 months. Responses were coded and analyzed by using IBM SPSS v 28. Correlations revealed frequent MPS use was not associated with financial skills, usefulness, convenience, awareness, or actual financial behaviors. However, financial skills were positively related to factors such as MPS usefulness (r = .62, p ≤ .001) and convenience (r = .58, p ≤ .001), and awareness of financial behaviors (r = .55, p ≤ .001). Findings suggest that MPS apps can be a tool to promote financial management behaviors such as controlling spending and paying bills on time

The Behavioral Economics of the Bottomless Cup: The Effects of Alcohol Cup Price on Consumption in College Students

International audienceHeavy drinking among college students is a public health concern in part due to the accessibility of alcohol and promotions such as ``happy hours,'' which discount the price of alcohol. In addition, consuming alcohol at unregulated off-campus parties may result in greater alcohol consumption, higher blood alcohol concentrations, and increased negative consequences. The purpose of the current study was to assess demand for a refillable red ``Solo'' cup using a new hypothetical purchase task, the Cup-Price Purchase Task (CPPT). The CPPT asked college student participants to read a description of an off-campus party drinking context and indicate the likelihood of purchasing a refillable cup at prices ranging from \0.00-\60.00. We found that at cup prices of \5.00 or below, the likelihood of purchase was 75% or higher; however, probability of purchase decreased to about 47% at a cup price of \10.00. In addition, several CPPT behavioral economic parameters were positively correlated with the Alcohol Purchase Task (APT) and other alcohol-related measures, providing support for the CPPT's construct validity. Finally, hierarchical regression analyses revealed that maximum expenditure on the CPPT was a unique predictor of both alcohol consumption and alcohol-related consequences, even after controlling for the APT metrics. These findings may inform future studies investigating the behavioral economics of high-risk drinking situations and potential strategies to reduce binge drinking