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References
Horwitz, S. R., & Dovidio, J. F. (2017). The rich—love them or hate them? Divergent implicit and explicit attitudes toward the wealthy. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 20(1), 3–31. https://doi.org/10.1177/1368430215596075
Loughnan, S., Kuppens, P., Allik, J., Balazs, K., de Lemus, S., Dumont, K., Gargurevich, R., Hidegkuti, I., Leidner, B., Matos, L., Park, J., Realo, A., Shi, J., Sojo, V. E., Tong, Y., Vaes, J., Verduyn, P., Yeung, V., & Haslam, N. (2011). Economic Inequality Is Linked to Biased Self-Perception. Psychological Science, 22(10), 1254–1258. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797611417003
Piff, P., Stancato, D., Cote, S., Mendoza-Denton, R., & Keltner, D. (2012). Higher social class predicts increased unethical behavior | PNAS. PNAS - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1118373109
Twenge, J. M., & Campbell, W. K. (2009). The narcissism epidemic: Living in the age of entitlement. Free Press.
Implicit Attitudes - thoughts that form early in life and vary from normal beliefs. Based on information that a person receives in their environment, from other people, or from personal experiences.
Horwitz + Davidio Study (2017) -
middle class participants favored high class.
found to predict leniency for upper class drivers with nicer cars that cause car accidents with middle class drivers.
Lake Wobegon Effect - Fictional town created by comedian Garrison K that claimed that children who lived there were considered above average/ more intelligent.
Self-enhancement bias: tendency to emphasize or exaggerate one's desirable qualities to others.
Loughnan study -
self-enhancement may be related to inequality. It is found in higher levels in unequal societies and low-income countries. Found to be associated with lower life expectancies + higher death rates + higher rates of income inequality.
Meaning of Self-Esteem
Rosenberg Scale - relied on for many years as a reliable, valid measure of self-esteem until it was proven to only measure one type of self-esteem, not all types. This scale only measures global self-esteem.
2011 Poll Washington post - Kaiser Family -
72% of Black men had higher self esteem compared to only 59% of White men.
72% of Black men said it was important to be respected by others, in comparison to only 55% of White men
Inequality may increase defensive self-esteem
Narcissism Epidemic
Narcissism characteristics --- attention seeking, reacting badly to criticism, self-important, exaggerate ones skills and talents, lack of empathy, and willingness to take advantage of others
Measured with: Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI) 1980
Professor Twenge and Professor Campbell Study
30% increase of narcissistic tendencies between 1982 - 2006
may reflect rise in income differences
related to defensive self-esteem + entitlement
Erosion of Empathy
In order to increase community life and social relationships, one must understand and sympathize with others - it's a key to survival.
Mary Clarke --- "compassion that arises from empathy is the primary characteristic of humans"
Inducement of feeling of power can cause deficits in abilities to understand others’ emotions and thoughts
Trust + social cohesion = solidarity and neighborliness
Summary
People are biased towards people in the higher class, whether that be unconscious or conscious. Someone could consciously speak against the favoritism against high-class/higher-income people in communities, but subconsciously, their daily lives and thinking show implicit bias towards these people at the same time. Similarly, higher income communities are guilty of self-enhancement bias, and tend to speak highly of themselves, their achievements, and their wealth in any situations possible, which has been found as a defense mechanism in humans (especially in unequal societies). Essentially, these foundational aspects are what have led to the Narcissism Epidemic and the observed erosion of empathy, due to the diminishing aspects of equitable communities in our modern societies.
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