Let’s say both a posh person and someone from the lower classes are driving along in their cars (one cheap, one expensive), when they approach a pedestrian crossing. There’s someone there waiting to cross and, by law, they are obliged to stop.
On balance, who do you think is more likely to cheat and cut off the pedestrian? The upper class person or the lower class person?
Well, wonder no more because this exact observational study was carried out by Piff et al. (2012) in California. They stood at a junction watching who cut off pedestrians and how expensive their cars were.
Before looking at the article, reply what you think the result was (and why)…
http://www.spring.org.uk/2012/04/do-posh-people-cheat-more-than-the-lower-classes.php
Adrian Farouk
Group Strategy Director
Similar situation: you’re driving on a deserted road in the middle of the night and come to a red light. Do you stop? Or do you just go (because there are no other cars around)? My guess is that most people will stop. But why?It all comes down to motivation – your motivation to stop is the fear of receiving a fine. This fear is reduced in people who have the means to handle a potentially expensive ticket (ie. the perceived risk is lower). Same deal with parking tickets – you’re more likely to see an expensive car illegally parked.So for the same reason I would guess the rich person will run through the pedestrian crossing… My money is on the money.
Why am I not surprised?! <o:p></o:p>But did they try a control trial of putting poor people in expensive cars and see how they behave? Maybe it’s just Rolls Rage.<o:p></o:p>From: Deepend [mailto:post@deepend.posterous.com] Sent: Tuesday, 10 April 2012 1:40 PMTo: Pip JonesSubject: [deepend] Do posh people cheat more than lower classes?<o:p></o:p>This is a private email. Please do not forward.<o:p></o:p><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td width=”20″></td><td><tr><td width=”610″><o:p></o:p></td></tr><tr><td><tr><td></td><td width=”594″> </td></tr><tr><td width=”16″></td><td width=”578″><tr><td></td></tr></td></tr></td></tr></td></tr>
If you’ve ever read Freakonomics – Chapter 1 confirms exactly the same thing…. ‘In using the honour system as a method of payment the research found, the much higher paid executives in the building were much less likely to pay for the bagels than the lower paid colleagues on the floor below as they felt entitled to the bagels’. Human nature is a strange creature indeed. <o:p></o:p>Kate AbellAccount Manager<o:p></o:p>Level 2, 2 Hill Street<o:p></o:p>PO Box 146, Surry Hills NSW 2010<o:p></o:p>p: +612 8917 7900e: kate@deepend.com.auw: www.deepend.com.au<o:p></o:p>b: http://chrysalis.deepend.com.aut: http://twitter.com/DeependSydney<o:p></o:p>B&T AUSTRALIAN INTERACTIVE AGENCY OF THE YEAR (WINNER) 2009/2010, (FINALIST) 2010/2011<o:p></o:p>ADNEWS AUSTRALIAN DIGITAL AGENCY OF THE YEAR (FINALIST) 2008/2009, 2009/2010, 2010/2011<o:p></o:p>From: Posterous [mailto:
It comes down to people’s upbringing.People driving posh cars are more likely to come from a wealthy upbringing (there are exceptions).People from a wealthy upbringing are more likely to be used to getting what they what.And people who get what they want have a sense of entitlement. So of course if “I am honing around in my beamer, I ain’t stopping for any pleb”.