Money makes men mean: Scientists

The most generous people are those who have the least, according to scientists.

Based on a psychological experiment, those deemed to be of “higher status” were found to be more selfish than those of “lower status”.

Scientists at Queen Mary University also discovered that how a person amassed their fortune matters when it comes to determining how willing they are to share.

Those who earned their money themselves are far more reluctant to hand it out, compared to those who stumbled on wealth by chance.

The most generous people are the ones that have the least, according to scientists. Based on a psychological experiment, those who are deemed to be of “higher status” are more selfish than those of “lower status”

In the first social experiment, people were asked to donate money to a communal pot, which was then distributed equally among the players.

Researchers assigned players with either “high status” or “low status”.

Those who were designated as “high status” were allocated more money at the start of the game compared to those branded “low status”.

But despite having more in their pocket at the start of the experiment, those who were “high status” contributed less to the communal pot.

Researchers later started to allocate status based on effort, with those who worked the hardest being rewarded with the most money. “Low status” participants contributed more than high status participants.