Higher social class predicts increased unethical behavior - PubMed (original) (raw)

Higher social class predicts increased unethical behavior

Paul K Piff et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012.

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Abstract

Seven studies using experimental and naturalistic methods reveal that upper-class individuals behave more unethically than lower-class individuals. In studies 1 and 2, upper-class individuals were more likely to break the law while driving, relative to lower-class individuals. In follow-up laboratory studies, upper-class individuals were more likely to exhibit unethical decision-making tendencies (study 3), take valued goods from others (study 4), lie in a negotiation (study 5), cheat to increase their chances of winning a prize (study 6), and endorse unethical behavior at work (study 7) than were lower-class individuals. Mediator and moderator data demonstrated that upper-class individuals' unethical tendencies are accounted for, in part, by their more favorable attitudes toward greed.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1.

Fig. 1.

Percentage of cars that cut off (i) other vehicles at the four-way intersection (from study 1) (A) or (ii) the pedestrian at the crosswalk (from study 2) (B), as a function of vehicle status (1 = lowest status, 5 = highest status).

Fig. 2.

Fig. 2.

The relationship between social class and propensity for unethical behavior, moderated by the greed-is-good prime (from study 7).

Fig. 3.

Fig. 3.

Aerial view of four-way intersection (from study 1). White arrows depict highways used by coders to code driver behavior at the intersection (image courtesy of © 2011 Google Maps).

Fig. 4.

Fig. 4.

Photo series depicting crosswalk from study 2 with confederate posing as a pedestrian approaching (Top) and standing at crosswalk (Middle) as target vehicle fails to yield (Bottom).

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