Wealthier people are more likely to behave unethically
Higher social class predicts increased unethical behavior
Seven studies, including field observations and lab experiments, reveal that individuals from upper-class backgrounds are more likely to engage in unethical behavior than those from lower classes. Upper-class drivers were more prone to cut off other vehicles and pedestrians, and in lab settings they showed greater tendencies toward unethical decision-making, taking valued goods, lying in negotiations, cheating for prizes, and endorsing unethical workplace conduct. This tendency is partly explained by more favorable attitudes toward greed among the upper class.
Greater resources, freedom, and independence from others among the upper class give rise to self-focused social-cognitive tendencies, which we predict will facilitate unethical behavior.
- raphman
It seems that at least three groups tried to replicate the study and failed (i.e., found no or little actual effect)¹.
> In contrast, other research in economics and sociology has hypothesized and found a positive relationship between SES and prosocial and ethical behavior. We review the empirical evidence for these contradictory findings and conduct two direct, well-powered, and preregistered replications of the field studies by Piff and colleagues (2012) to test the relationship between SES and unethical/selfish behavior. Unlike the original findings, we find no evidence of a positive relationship between SES and unethical/selfish behavior in the two field replication studies.
¹) https://pubpeer.com/publications/7363E2E1B57AC42EF166E0D0266...
- bede
"As vehicles are reliable indicators of a person's social rank and wealth"
The wealthiest Europeans I know drive the cheapest vehicles. Modesty is wealth in many parts of the world, but perhaps not in California (the authors are affiliated with UC Berkeley).
- Tomte
Richard McElreath: https://bsky.app/profile/rmcelreath.bsky.social/post/3muofvc...
> In the actual candy study, the participants were all students, status was manipulated in the lab by telling some students they were better than others, and "nearly twice" means 1 piece vs 2 pieces.
> oh and the researchers told participants they could take some candy. There was no stealing!
- kazinator
A lot of ethical behavior is actually invented by the higher classes to imbue the lower classes with self-policing. It's a social pattern across pretty much all human civilizations that have been.
- jppope
I guess the good news here is that I can just buy an expensive car and become part of the higher social class.