Ezra Klein: Study: Rich more likely to take candy from babies

[babylonsister]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/study-rich-more-likely-to-take-candy-from-babies/2011/08/25/gIQAXE0beR_blog.html

Study: Rich more likely to take candy from babies
Posted by Ezra Klein at 06:03 PM ET, 02/27/2012


No, this isn’t from the Onion:

The “upper class,” as defined by the study, were more likely to break the law while driving, take candy from children, lie in negotiation, cheat to increase their odds of winning a prize and endorse unethical behavior at work, researchers reported today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

[...]In the candy test, 129 undergraduates were manipulated to view themselves as wealthy or poor. They were then presented with a jar of individually wrapped candy, which researchers said would go to children in a nearby lab, though they could take some if they wanted. The undergraduates believing themselves to be upper income took more than those believing themselves to be low income, the study found.

snip//

Researchers also asked study participants to go on an employment Web site and negotiate salaries with people seeking permanent employment. The participants were told the position they were filling would soon be eliminated. Higher net-worth participants were less likely to pass this information along than lower net-worth participants.

Bloomberg has more details on the findings here, including interviews with the authors. They also note that the study isn’t alone. It “builds on previous research that has shown wealthy people are worse at recognizing how others feel and are more likely to be disengaged during social interactions than others.”

Of course, left unanswered is a key correlation/causation question: Are rich people more likely to be jerks, or are jerks more likely to get rich?

[Pholus]

1. Nice! But remember the onion just predates reality by a few months these days....

Were that it not true....

[TalkingDog]

2. Rich People: What? Is that wrong?

n/t

[Skittles]

4. my NASCAR team owner friends do not think so

no INDEED

[sarcasmo]

3. Greed is a disease.