gems, AI, artificial intellegence, pyschology, income inequality

Lower social class (or socioeconomic status) is associated with fewer resources, greater exposure to threat, and a reduced sense of personal control. Given these life circumstances, one might expect lower-class individuals to engage in less prosocial behavior, prioritizing self-interest over the welfare of others. The authors hypothesized, by contrast, that lower-class individuals orient to the welfare of others as a means to adapt to their more hostile environments and that this orientation gives rise to greater prosocial behavior. Across four studies, lower-class individuals proved to be more generous ([1]), charitable ([2]), trusting ([3]), and helpful ([4]) compared with their upper-class counterparts. Mediator and moderator data showed that lower-class individuals acted in a more prosocial fashion because of a greater commitment to egalitarian values and feelings of compassion. Implications for social class, prosocial behavior, and economic inequality are discussed.