Social Class and (Un)Ethical Behaviour: Causal and Correlational Evidence

Gsottbauer, Elisabeth; Mueller, Daniel; Mueller, Samuel; Trautmann, Stefan T. und Zudenkova, Galina (2022): Social Class and (Un)Ethical Behaviour: Causal and Correlational Evidence. In: Economic Journal, Bd. 132, Nr. 647: S. 2392-2411

Abstract

Are individuals of higher socio-economic status less ethical than those of lower status? Highly popularised research findings claim that this is the case. This paper provides evidence against this claim, based on data from two large survey experiments with more than 11,000 participants. We prime social status in two heterogeneous samples of the German population and then elicit ethical behaviour in an incentivised experimental task. Thus, our data allows us to study both correlation (using demographic data) and causality (using the priming). Our study rejects the claim that higher social status individuals are less ethical on both accounts.

• Dokumententyp: Zeitschriftenartikel
• Fakultät: Volkswirtschaft
• Themengebiete: 300 Sozialwissenschaften > 330 Wirtschaft
• ISSN: 0013-0133
• Sprache: Englisch