Such narrowness of view is what is damaging even scientific studies. In
fact it could be the problem with /any/ study. The need for /specifics/
drives the researcher to remove as many aspects of conflict within a
study as possible in order to obtain 1 clear and definitive outcome.
This is a problem (as has been mentioned on this list before) with the
'western' educational system. There is a decided lack of ability of most
western minds to encompass all the differing aspects of large problems
to achieve a coherent and sensible answer.
The other aspect of this 'study??' is the generality of assuming that
the driver of a luxury car is wealthy. They may merely be social
climbers and really stressed for the cash to maintain the appearance of
wealth and must chase on to the next 'mark' they can score from.
D.
On 24/04/2012 10:16 PM, Keith Hudson wrote:
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? ItâEUR^(TM)s 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, itâEUR^(TM)s 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
on ___________________________________________ Portside aims to
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Keith Hudson, Saltford, England http://allisstatus.wordpress.com
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