In principle I could well accept the suggestion
of the Berkeley psychologists but these
experiments haven't shown that "as people climb
the social ladder, their compassionate feelings
towards other people decline". All that they have
suggested so far is that there is a correlation
between status and impetuosity in a couple of
specific situations. Impetuosity (or high status)
cannot be interpreted as lack of empathy or
compassion in a general way. The same high status
experimentees would have to be tested in other
situations also. Furthermore, nothing can be said
about the effect of actually climbing the social
ladder. The experiments were merely snapshots of
individuals who'd already arrived at an assumed
status (on the basis of the car they drove). To
prove that the climbing is the cause would need a
longitudinal survey from, say adolescence (when
status aspirations first become apparent) to at
least late middle age (when even high status individuals have peaked).
Keith
At 02:53 25/04/2012, you wrote:
-----Original Message----- From: Portside
Moderator [mailto:[email protected]] Sent:
Tuesday, April 24, 2012 5:39 PM To:
[email protected] Subject: [SPAM] How
Wealth Reduces Compassion How Wealth Reduces
Compassion As riches grow, empathy for others
seems to decline By Daisy Grewal Scientific
America April 10, 2012
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=how-wealth-reduces-compassi
on Who is more likely to lie, cheat, and steal -
the poor person or the rich one? Itâs temping
to think that the wealthier you are, the more
likely you are to act fairly. After all, if you
already have enough for yourself, itâs easier
to think about what others may need. But
research suggests the opposite is true: as
people climb the social ladder, their
compassionate feelings towards other people
decline. Berkeley psychologists Paul Piff and
Dacher Keltner ran several studies looking at
whether social class (as measured by wealth,
occupational prestige, and education) influences
how much we care about the feelings of others.
In one study, Piff and his colleagues discreetly
observed the behavior of drivers at a busy four-
way intersection. They found that luxury car
drivers were more likely to cut off other
motorists instead of waiting for their turn at
the intersection. This was true for both men and
women upper- class drivers, regardless of the
time of day or the amount of traffic at the
intersection. In a different study they found
that luxury car drivers were also more likely to
speed past a pedestrian trying to use a
crosswalk, even after making eye contact with
the pedestrian. To read more, go to
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=how-wealth-reduces-compassi
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Keith Hudson, Saltford, England http://allisstatus.wordpress.com
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