IDENTITY: SOCIAL CLASS & MONEY'S IMPACT ON BEHAVIOR

Does Money Make You Mean?

Although there have been other sociological studies, Paul Piff of the University of California, Berkley, made big waves in the media when he and his colleagues released their research on the effects of money/income on behavior and perception. Long story short? Yes, money does affect how you behave. And mostly, it's not very nice. Previous research on self-perception had already found that those who received help to reach success within their careers were likely to view their own efforts as being the sole or primary reasons for their success, without acknowledging the efforts of others on their behalf. In his team's studies, Piff found that people who had more money were more likely not only to praise their own efforts without acknowledging privilege, but also to cheat or break the law when it suited their best interests, and to brag.

So where is the good news? Does money, in fact, make us mean? Or is it that we allow our own self-perception to be altered by money in such a way that we behave more selfishly? The good news is that anyone, whether they are wealthy or not, is more likely to behave with compassion if they understand the needs or suffering of others. By becoming more aware of our own intentions and needs as well as the intentions and needs of those at all socioeconomic levels, people behave more generously, more politely, and with more respect for each other.

So, yes. You can be rich and still be a good person. But it might take a little thought and effort.

1. Have you ever personally observed others behaving either less or more generous, and correlated it with their income?
2. How might money affect a person's perception of self-identity?
3. Have you ever felt pride in your socio-economic status?
4. How might prolonged affluence isolate people from others in our society?
5. How might prolonged economic struggle make people more or less likely to empathize with those in need?
6. If you have been in diverse groups of people from varying economic status, have you observed any predictable behaviors or attitudes?

Do You Enjoy Humor?

The above sketch, entitled "Worthington's Law", is taken from Mr. Show, starring Bob Odenkirk and David Cross circa 1997.

Links of Interest:
BBC - Does Money Make You Mean?
New York Magazine - The Money Empathy Gap
​Huff Po - Money Means Nothing Without Self-Meaning
​Daily Mail - Money Really Does Make You Mean
PBS NewsHour - Exploring the Psychology of Wealth, Pernicious Effects of Income Inequality
Slate - Social Darwinism Isn't Dead
​NPR - Rich Kid, Poor Kid: For 30 Years, Baltimore Study Tracked Who Gets Ahead
WNYC - Making It In The U.S.: More Than Just Hard Work
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