Investigating the Effect of Verbal Intelligence on Investors’ Financial Anxiety with the Mediating Role of Financial Literacy
Abstract
This study examines the effect of verbal intelligence on investors’ financial anxiety, considering the mediating role of financial literacy. In this research, financial anxiety is the dependent variable, verbal intelligence is the independent variable, and financial literacy serves as the mediating variable. The study is applied in terms of purpose and follows a descriptive–correlational design based on structural equation modeling. The required data were collected using a questionnaire instrument. The statistical population consists of all investors in the stock exchange market in Iran. Using Cochran’s formula for large and dispersed populations, a sample size of 335 participants was estimated and selected through simple random sampling. To test the hypotheses, structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed using SPSS and AMOS. The findings indicated that verbal intelligence has a negative and significant effect on investors’ financial anxiety. Furthermore, the second hypothesis confirmed that verbal intelligence has a positive and significant effect on investors’ financial literacy, and the third hypothesis showed that financial literacy has a negative and significant effect on investors’ financial anxiety. The fourth hypothesis demonstrated that financial literacy significantly mediates the relationship between verbal intelligence and investors’ financial anxiety. Therefore, financial literacy, independent of the effects of verbal intelligence, has a direct impact on investors’ financial anxiety and supports the potential usefulness of financial literacy education. Accordingly, it is recommended that investors become more familiar with factors such as their level of verbal intelligence, financial literacy, and financial anxiety in order to make better decisions and achieve their desired objectives in the stock market.
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