Higher social class predicts increased unethical behavior

作者：Paul K. Piff, Daniel M. Stancato, Stéphane Côté, Rodolfo Mendoza‐Denton, Dacher J. Keltner · 发表于：Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · 年份：2012 · DOI：10.1073/pnas.1118373109 · 被引用次数：1042 · 研究领域：Psychology of Moral and Emotional Judgment、Ethics in Business and Education、Experimental Behavioral Economics Studies

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.