Well, we decided it was time to find out whether or not rich people are actually more likely to be jerks.

Ever been cut off while driving? It was more likely by a Mercedes than a 20 year old junker.

Multiple studies have found that the more expensive your car is the more likely you are to

not only cut in front of other vehicles but also drive through crosswalks when a pedestrian is waiting to cross.

In one study those with the most expensive cars cut pedestrians off 42% of the time.

Now, imagine you waited in a line for 10 minutes to buy a coffee and a muffin at Starbucks.

But when you're a couple of blocks away you realize that the clerk gave

you change for $20 rather than for the $10 you gave him

Do you A) savour your coffee and the free $10 or B) go back and return the change?

It turns out those with more money are more likely to respond that they would keep it.

And the amount of money you have also affects how much you look at people.

Using Google glass to track eye movements of people in a study walking around the block.

Wealthy people spend significantly less time in social gazes. In other words,

they're more likely to straight-up ignore other people.

But, certainly the rich are more generous in the poor, right, though the rich may cut a bigger check in the Ｕ.S.

Nationwide survey data shows that the wealthy contribute a lower percentage of their household income.

For example a household that makes under $25,000 in the u.s.. donate around 4.2% of their earnings,

but those making $100,000 or more only contribute 2.7%.

Even when people are arbitrarily put in charge or given power. It makes them more selfish.

Imagine you're put into a group of 3 people to make some important policy recommendations and you're told you're in charge of the group.

A plate of 5 yummy cookies gets put in front of you.

And naturally everybody takes one. Do you take another?

It turns out in studies the person in charge is most likely to take the fourth cookie while everybody leaves the last one on the plate to be polite

So, our rude people just more likely to become rich? Or does being rich make you worse?

Counter to what we might believe people who are the most likely to gain power in a group are actually the emotionally intelligent

ones who focus on others practice generosity and aren't the bullies

Studies even find that college students at the top of the social hierarchy tend to be the most Pro-social

and compassionate versus selfish. It all goes back to our hunter-gatherer roots where individuals who share food and resources,

rise in ranks, but this leads to the power paradox. To gain power you need empathy.

But, once you feel powerful you become more self focused you can even see this in the brain when using FMRI scans.

Areas like the prefrontal cortex that activate when understanding mental states or considering the thoughts of others,

show less activity in those with a higher social class

Poor people also have a greater ability to assess the emotional states of others have more interpersonal interactions, greater

eye contact, head nodding and laughing compared to richer people who are more likely to self groom, fidget or doodle.

One possible explanation for this is that people with less materials resources and

privilege rely more on others to meet their needs and this creates a pressure to be more emotionally intelligent.

So, of course not all rich people are jerks.

But in general as your wealth increases your empathy decreases. Making rich people statistically more likely to be jerks

For today's video, we've teamed up with Audible who's

offering everybody who's watching this video a chance to try them out for free for 30 days.

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Like our recommendation for today which is the influential mind by Tali Sharot,

and she looks into how data isn't always the best way to change somebody's mind and

instead looks at how our minds actually operate when we're forming opinions or trying to make arguments.

Audible allows you to switch seamlessly between devices whether it's your car your tablet.

or your phone it will always keep you up to date on where you last left off.

That's audible.com/asap or text ASAP - 500 500.

Thank you again as always for watching, and we will see you next Thursday for a new science video