Upper class more likely to be scofflaws due to greed, study finds

[kpete]

Upper class more likely to be scofflaws due to greed, study finds

By Yasmin Anwar, Media Relations | February 27, 2012

BERKELEY —
The upper class has a higher propensity for unethical behavior, being more likely to believe – as did Gordon Gekko in the movie “Wall Street” – that “greed is good,” according to a new study from the University of California, Berkeley.


Study finds unethical behavior motivated by casual attitudes to greed
In seven separate studies conducted on the UC Berkeley campus, in the San Francisco Bay
Area and nationwide, UC Berkeley researchers consistently found that upper-class participants were more likely to lie and cheat when gambling or negotiating; cut people off when driving, and endorse unethical behavior in the workplace.

“The increased unethical tendencies of upper-class individuals are driven, in part, by their more favorable attitudes toward greed,” said Paul Piff, a doctoral student in psychology at UC Berkeley and lead author of the paper published today (Monday, Feb. 27) in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

MORE:
http://newscenter.berkeley.edu/2012/02/27/greed/

[no_hypocrisy]

1. They're also known to stiff attorneys.

And if an attorney comes after them for payment of services rendered, the 1% will turn around and threaten to pursue legal malpractice if the outcome of the case is either a settlement or outright loss.

That's why many attorneys are now requiring a hefty retainer of say $5,000, $7,500, or $10,000 to make sure they have something for their work.