Are the Rich Really Less Generous Than the Poor? (Update)

A series of academic studies suggest that the wealthy are, to put it bluntly, selfish jerks. It’s an easy narrative to embrace — but is it true? As part of GiveDirectly’s “Pods Fight Poverty” campaign, we revisit a 2017 episode.

SOURCES:Jim Andreoni • , professor of economics at the University of California, San Diego. Nikos Nikiforakis • , professor of economics at New York University in Abu Dhabi. Paul Piff • , associate professor of psychology at the University of California, Irvine. Jan Stoop • , associate professor of applied economics at the Erasmus School of Economics.

RESOURCES: • " Are the Rich More Selfish Than the Poor, or do They Just Have More Money? A Natural Field Experiment • ," by James Andreoni, Nikos Nikiforakis, and Jan Stoop ( National Bureau of Economic Research, • 2017). • " Exploring the Psychology of Wealth, 'Pernicious' Effects of Economic Inequality • ," ( PBS NewsHour, • 2013). • " Poverty Impedes Cognitive Function • ," by Anandi Mani, Sendhil Mullainathan, Eldar Shafir, and Jiaying Zhao (Science, • 2013). • " Higher Social Class Predicts Increased Unethical Behavior • ," by Paul Piff, Daniel Stancato, Stéphane Côté, Rodolfo Mendoza-Denton, and Dacher Keltner (PNAS, 2011). • " Relative Earnings and Giving in a Real-Effort Experiment • ," by Nisvan Erkal, Lata Gangadharan, and Nikos Nikiforakis (American Economic Review, • 2011). • " Experimenter Demand Effects in Economic Experiments • ," by Daniel John Zizzo (Experimental Economics, • 2009). • " Impure Altruism and Donations to Public Goods: A Theory of Warm-Glow Giving • ," by James Andreoni (The Economic Journal, • 1990). • " Privately Provided Public Goods in a Large Economy: The Limits of Altruism • ," by James Andreoni (Journal of Public Economics, • 1987). • " A Positive Model of Private Charity and Public Transfers • ," by Russell Roberts (Journal of Political Economy, • 1984). Pods Fight Poverty Campaign on Give Directly.

EXTRAS: • “ How to Raise Money Without Killing a Kitten • ,” by Freakonomics Radio • (2013).

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