The study however comes a little out of the ebony tower and is a bit quick on conclusions. I don't think that being poor provides you with greater emparthy skills. The ability to read emotions falls more into the quick judgement/ street smartness skills. Having grown up poor, I have seen great examples of commuity feeling and solidarity as well as despictable examples of selfishness, dishonesty and of course violence. I agree that you are shaped by your environment, but this dosn't free you of you own will.
Being poor doesn't make you a saint as well as having money doesn't (necessary
) make you an arse.
The earlier study by these guys, regarding generousity, is more interesting. Maybe the sense of less solidarity of some rich folks roots in the circumstances how they became what they are. If they used their elbows all the time and try to use their targets by any means necessary they are of course less likely to have any empathy towards others.
In one of the few interesting books about economics - "Freakonomics" - there is an interesting chapter about a guy who sells bagels in a business environment. He delivered the bagels in the morning and put out a (unguarded) box where anybody could put the cash for the bagels into.
One interesting observation, among many others, is that the higher the box is located in the offices - where the middle and upper managements sits - the more likely it is that people cheat and don't pay.
If someone's interested in the chapter, you can pm me. (Note to the mods: under german copyright law it is legal to make a copy of book chapters for study purposes, I think the US has simular laws, fair use and such)