Income Inequality Reduces Civic Honesty

Income inequality has been shown to have a detrimental impact on a wide range of psychological, economic, and social outcomes. In this study, we focus on the role of income inequality in reducing civic honesty. Study 1 reanalyzed data of a lost wallet experiment conducted by Cohn, Marechal, Tannenbaum, and Zuund (2019) in 355 cities spread across 40 countries. Multilevel analyses indicated that citizens in countries with higher income inequality were less likely to return a lost wallet. Study 2 examined the causal effects of income inequality by utilizing an experimental design. We found that income inequality reduced one's personal desire to return a lost wallet. Convergent findings from two studies indicate the crucial role played by income inequality in reducing civic honesty.

Automated summary

The study found that income inequality has a significant impact on reducing civic honesty, with citizens in countries with higher income inequality being less likely to return a lost wallet. Experimental results also showed that income inequality reduced individuals' personal desire to return a lost wallet. The convergence of findings from two studies highlights the crucial role played by income inequality in diminishing civic honesty.