Just the mere thought of money can turn a person selfish, so that he helps others less often and prefers to play alone, a new study shows. In a series of nine experiments, researchers found that money enhanced people’s motivation to achieve their own goals and degraded their behavior toward others. The concept of money, they suggest, makes a person feel more self-sufficient and thus more apt to stand alone. The scientists said the study had nothing to do with making a person feel wealthy. When real or fake money, or even a photo of cash, was placed in sight of participants, they became selfish. The results could explain why the topic of money can be so detrimental to a couple’s lasting bond. ‘In our experiments, the people who are reminded of money really worked hard toward their own goals. But that might not be conducive to a good interpersonal relationship,’ said study leader Kathleen Vohs of the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, Staged scenes The scientists split 50 undergraduate students into two groups. One was primed with the concept of money; other served as a control and was not […]