Authors
David Dubois, Derek D Rucker, Adam D Galinsky
Publication date
2015/3
Journal
Journal of personality and social psychology
Volume
108
Issue
3
Pages
436
Publisher
American Psychological Association
Description
Are the rich more unethical than the poor? To answer this question, the current research introduces a key conceptual distinction between selfish and unethical behavior. Based on this distinction, the current article offers 2 novel findings that illuminate the relationship between social class and unethical behavior. First, the effects of social class on unethical behavior are not invariant; rather, the effects of social class are moderated by whether unethical behavior benefits the self or others. Replicating past work, social class positively predicted unethical behavior; however, this relationship was only observed when that behavior was self-beneficial. When unethical behavior was performed to benefit others, social class negatively predicted unethical behavior; lower class individuals were more likely than upper class individuals to engage in unethical behavior. Overall, social class predicts people’s tendency to behave …
Total citations
201520162017201820192020202120222023202414369046485270587229
Scholar articles