Citation

Piff PK, Kraus MW, Côté S, Cheng BH, Keltner D. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 2010; 99(5): 771-784.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-1650, USA. ppiff@berkeley.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, American Psychological Association)

DOI

10.1037/a0020092

PMID

20649364

Abstract

Lower social class (or socioeconomic status) is associated with fewer resources, greater exposure to threat, and a reduced sense of personal control. Given these life circumstances, one might expect lower class individuals to engage in less prosocial behavior, prioritizing self-interest over the welfare of others. The authors hypothesized, by contrast, that lower class individuals orient to the welfare of others as a means to adapt to their more hostile environments and that this orientation gives rise to greater prosocial behavior. Across 4 studies, lower class individuals proved to be more generous (Study 1), charitable (Study 2), trusting (Study 3), and helpful (Study 4) compared with their upper class counterparts. Mediator and moderator data showed that lower class individuals acted in a more prosocial fashion because of a greater commitment to egalitarian values and feelings of compassion. Implications for social class, prosocial behavior, and economic inequality are discussed.

Language: en