Just Being Around Money Affects Behavior

Just Being Around Money Affects Behavior

(November 17, 2006) -- Just the idea of having money or being around money may affect behavior, a University of Minnesota study showed.

"The mere presence of money changes people," researcher Kathleen Vohs, of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management, said.

Researchers reminded some students about money by either giving participants play money or having them sit in front of computers with money screen savers. Other students didn't get any play money and sat at computers with non-monetary screen savers.

Voh's found those in the money groups were more self-sufficient than those who weren't. The students in the money groups worked longer by themselves on assigned tasks before seeking help. But when asked by someone else for assistance, the students didn't help as much as those who weren't exposed to money.

Researchers said not everyone reacts the same way to money. But if the findings are correct, it may mean money affects communities, the researchers note.

"As countries and cultures developed, money may have allowed people to acquire goods and services that enabled the pursuit of cherished goals, which in turn diminished reliance on friends and family," Voh's team wrote in a university release.

Source: UPI

Last updated: 11/06

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Just Being Around Money Affects Behavior