UC BERKELEY / STANFORD (US) — When people perceive money as morally tainted, they also view it as having less value and purchasing power, a new study shows.
Challenging the belief that “all money is green,” and that people will cross ethical boundaries to amass it, social scientists have found compelling evidence that the source of wealth really does matter.
In fact, some people avoid ill-gotten gains—such as profits from unfair labor practices or insider trading—for fear of “moral contagion,” according to a paper published this week in the online issue of the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science.