People from poor backgrounds are deemed MORE trustworthy than those raised with money, study finds

Daily Mail​

22-05-2025

People from poor backgrounds are deemed more trustworthy than those raised with money, a new study has revealed.
Researchers from the University of British Columbia asked participants to play a trust game with people from a range of backgrounds.
And the results revealed that people who grew up with less money were considered more trustworthy than those from more privileged backgrounds.
'They generally saw people who grew up in lower-class homes as more moral and trustworthy,' said Dr Kristin Laurin, lead author of the study.
'While they sometimes acted as if they trusted people who are currently lower class, they didn't always believe those people would honor that trust.'
Based on the findings, the researchers say that people should be 'strategic' about how they present themselves in social situations where trust is a component.
'If you've always been wealthy, for example, you might want to downplay that history and focus on the now,' Dr Laurin advised.
'Whereas if you've always struggled financially, making it clear that you grew up with humble roots might be more to your advantage.'
In the Harry Potter franchise, the Weasleys are known for being poor - but soon become one of Harry's most trusted allies
In their study, the team set out to understand how people decide who to trust.
'Trust is essential for healthy relationships,' Dr Laurin said.
'Without it, romantic partnerships can fail, workplaces can suffer and social divisions can grow.
'But what makes people trust someone in the first place?'
The researchers enlisted 1,900 participants, who took part in a series of experiments exploring trust.
In one experiment, the participants were asked to play a trust game with what they thought were other real people, but were actually fictional profiles.
Some profiles described people who grew up with less money, while others described more privileged backgrounds, such as going to private school or taking holidays abroad.
In another experiment, the profiles indicated people's current socioeconomic status, and asked participants to rate the morality of the other players.
The results revealed that people tended to trust people from lower-income backgrounds more - whether past or present.
However, they only believed a player was more trustworthy when the player grew up in a lower-income household.
'Our research shows that people draw a clear line between someone's childhood and their current situation,' Dr Laurin said.
The study comes shortly after research revealed that rich people are more likely to be mean.
Analysing data from 46,000 people across 67 countries, including information on wealth and levels of morality and moral behaviour, helped a team from the University of Agder in Kristiansand, Norway, to make their discovery.
Their research suggests that the Disney movies, as well as tropes in classic literature, stand up to scrutiny, with lack of wealth linked to higher moral standards.