In Brief

$ is for self-sufficiency

A series of psychological experiments shows that thinking even casually about money makes people feel more independent and self-reliant. They become less interested in helping others, more reluctant to accept help, and even more likely to avoid the company of others.

The experiments are reported in Science, the journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. College students were asked to perform various tasks, some in neutral conditions and others after being "primed" with suggestions of money. They formed jumbled words into sentences, some with and some without monetary connotations. They read essays about growing up rich or growing up poor. They faced computer monitors showing dollar bills, neutral pictures, or blank screens. They sat at desks with or without stacks of bills at the side. Then they were watched as they performed various tasks while confederates of the experimenters offered help, requested help, or tried to join them.