Higher social class predicts increased unethical behavior

metalliqaz

Yes this is common knowledge. Most of us live within a given social hierarchy, and this effect is part of being a participant by default. We understand it intuitively. "Rules for thee but not for me." "There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect." Senators build their wealth by millions while "working" for the public, and nobody bats an eye. We all know how it works. It's why some celebrities are so loved when they don't fit the mold. People give up their seat on the subway every day, but when Keanu Reeves does it, he is venerated. Most people don't have any care for the people who run charities, but Dolly Parton is practically sainted for hers. All high-status people need to do is not be wicked and we are awed by it.

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.

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).

kolbe

I guess a handful of shoddy studies that are both terrible at isolating ethics and terrible at identifying social class are move persuasive than homicide, assault, and property crime statistics.

quickthrowman

I think unethical behavior is necessary to have a certain amount of wealth, I’m not sure where the line is, but I do think it’s there. Also, it seems that higher status/income people benefit a lot more from acting unethically than lower income people would, the more money at the table, the more beneficial it is to act unethically. I’m not saying it to excuse anyone’s behavior, just speculating out loud.

jdw64

Written laws are like spiders' webs; they will catch, it is true, the weak and poor, but would be torn in pieces by the rich and powerful.

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... ²) https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2023-34988-001?doi=1

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!

jppope

I guess the good news here is that I can just buy an expensive car and become part of the higher social class.

dominotw

unethical behivaiour gets you a high social class in corporate america