Across eight studies with large and representative international samples, we predominantly found positive effects of social class on prosociality: Higher class individuals were more likely to make a charitable donation and contribute a higher percentage of their family income to charity (32,090 ≥ N ≥ 3,957; Studies 1–3), were more likely to volunteer (37,136 ≥N ≥ 3,964; Studies 4–6), were more helpful (N = 3,902; Study 7), and were more trusting and trustworthy in an economic game when interacting with a stranger (N = 1,421; Study 8) than lower social class individuals.
If this finding is basically right, it might seem natural to say that money is causing this good behavior. I doubt it for the same reasons I doubt that lack of money causes many of the poor's systematic bad behaviors (like divorce, alcoholism, and single parenthood). Rather, bad behavior generally leads to failure, and good behavior lead leads to success.
