People have always thought that the rich are “different” in some way, not just because of what they own but also because of who they are. However, neither in the United States nor in Europe, there are many scientific studies that can support or contradict this notion.

People who become affluent in the US may brag about their modest beginnings, but recent research suggests that they may be less empathetic to the problems of poverty than those who were born fortunate.

This new study, which was published in Social Psychological and Personality Science, looks at how upward mobility experiences can affect a person’s worldview. Previous research has concentrated on how views about social mobility affect political and economic opinions.

According to main researcher Hyunjin Koo of the University of California, Irvine, “In the United States, we find that people expect those who became rich to be more sympathetic toward the poor and social welfare than those who were born rich.” However, compared to the ‘Born Rich,’ the ‘Became Rich’ regard improving one’s socioeconomic status as less challenging, which predicts less sympathetic sentiments toward the poor and redistribution, according to the study author.

In their first two studies, Koo, Piff, and Shariff polled 736 people in the United States and discovered that those who became rich (the Became Rich) were viewed more positively than those who were born rich (the Born Rich), and that the Became Rich were expected to be more supportive of the poor and social welfare. They then polled 1,032 relatively wealthy Americans (with annual incomes over $80,000 in one study and over $142,501 in another) and found that those who became rich believed it was easier to improve one’s socioeconomic status than people who were born rich, which predicted less sympathetic attitudes toward the poor.

“There are all sorts of stories and cultural narratives about the rich, what they’re like and how they behave. Our findings suggest that not all rich people may be the same,” adds Koo, “what seems to make a difference is how they got rich.”

In order to determine whether participants’ perceptions of people who had not advanced would change if they imagined upward mobility, researchers focused their last study on mimicking the sensation of upward mobility through a thought experiment. The upwardly mobile group’s members did believe it was simpler to advance, which diminished their empathy for others who were finding it difficult to advance. However, Koo cautioned that unless further research is done, it is premature to draw the conclusion that upward mobility alters people’s worldviews. Therefore, the researchers issued a warning that it is still too early to draw conclusions about the two wealthy groups or the upward mobility experience.

“There are likely many wealthy people who do not match the patterns we document who are sympathetic toward the poor and social welfare. We are showing basic trends, but there are likely to be many exceptions to the patterns we document ,” adds Koo. Koo wants to concentrate future research on how gender and race might influence this view and to carry out comparable studies outside of the United States.

Upward social mobility may have some social drawbacks, causing those who have achieved it to be less understanding of others who are struggling, according to the current research, which, according to Koo, suggests that people should reevaluate the cultural narratives surrounding the two wealthy groups in society.

Koo asserts that “Just because someone has been in your shoes, doesn’t necessarily mean they care about you”. 

“Overcoming a certain difficulty may, by its very nature, cause people to be less sympathetic toward those experiencing that same difficulty, because they overcame it.”

Image Credit: Getty

You were reading: This Is What Makes ‘Born Rich’ People Different From ‘Became Rich’