Thinking about money turns the mind stingy

Just thinking about money can turn the mind stingy
New York Times
Posted online: Saturday, November 25, 2006

Are you among the ones who thought if you had more money, you would be generous with it? If a paper published last week in the journal Science is any measure, that impulse to share does not come naturally to anyone who is thinking about money, even unconsciously.


In a series of experiments, psychologists found that subconscious reminders of money prompted people to become more independent in their work, less likely to seek help from others or to provide it. They became reluctant to volunteer their time and stingy when asked to donate to a worthy cause. ... [more]