The Asshole Effect is a phenomenon correlated with wealth.
the verdict
SUPPORTED
the evidence backs this
refutedsupported
the weight of evidence
3 sources for · 0 against
Retrieved reference materials and psychology discussions report that researchers like Paul Piff have identified a correlation between wealth and inconsiderate or entitled behavior, commonly referred to in popular discussions as the Asshole Effect.
People can exhibit their status by the consumption of particular goods or experiential purchases; this is known as “conspicuous consumption”; the practice is widespread and explains the market characteristics of a whole class of goods, Veblen goods, demand for which increase in tandem with their price. The value of such positional goods lies in their distribution among the population—the rarer they are, the more desirable they become. At the same time, higher income, often associated with higher status, has been studied in its relation to unethical behavior. Here we present research that shows
# Is the “Asshole Effect” a phenomenon correlated with wealth?
Tags: psychology, behavior, wealth
- Score: 18
- Views: 2576
- Answers: 2
- Answered: yes
- Asked by: Brian M. Hunt (18169 rep)
- Asked: 2015-02-18
- Edited: 2020-06-17
- Site: skeptics
## Question
From the Globe & Mail article “It’s true: The rich really are ruder”:
Psychologist Paul Piff has coined a memorable label for the phenomenon: the Asshole Effect. Prof. Piff and his colleagues have shown that there is a reliable correlation, across a range of scenarios, between wealth and inconsiderate behaviour. Wealthy people are more likely to exhibit rudeness in cars, take more than equal shares of available goods, and think they deserve special treatment.
...
Piff confirms experimentally the arguments of Aaron James’s 2012 book Assholes: A Theory.
Has Piff, or any other researcher, convincingly compiled evidence that indicates that rudeness correlates with wealth?
Is there any indication that the source of the wealth affects the outcome - from inheritance, to earnings, to lotteries?
## Answers
### Answer by gerrit (score: 12)
Yes, Piff has compiled evidence of correlation between wealth/social class versus narcis
Wealth and the Inflated Self: Class, Entitlement, and Narcissism - Paul K. Piff, 2014
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[Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin](http
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