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Economic inequality increases risk taking.

ABSTRACT: Rising income inequality is a global trend. Increased income inequality has been associated with higher rates of crime, greater consumer debt, and poorer health outcomes. The mechanisms linking inequality to poor outcomes among individuals are poorly understood. This research tested a behavioral account linking inequality to individual decision making. In three experiments (n = 811), we found that higher inequality in the outcomes of an economic game led participants to take greater risks to try to achieve higher outcomes. This effect of unequal distributions on risk taking was driven by upward social comparisons. Next, we estimated economic risk taking in daily life using large-scale data from internet searches. Risk taking was higher in states with greater income inequality, an effect driven by inequality at the upper end of the income distribution. Results suggest that inequality may promote poor outcomes, in part, by increasing risky behavior.

SUBMITTER: Payne BK

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5422783 | biostudies-literature | 2017 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Economic inequality increases risk taking.

Payne B Keith BK Brown-Iannuzzi Jazmin L JL Hannay Jason W JW

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 20170417 18

Rising income inequality is a global trend. Increased income inequality has been associated with higher rates of crime, greater consumer debt, and poorer health outcomes. The mechanisms linking inequality to poor outcomes among individuals are poorly understood. This research tested a behavioral account linking inequality to individual decision making. In three experiments (<i>n</i> = 811), we found that higher inequality in the outcomes of an economic game led participants to take greater risks ...[more]

PMID: 28416655

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Project description:Circadian rhythm disturbances have long been associated with the development of psychiatric disorders, including mood and substance use disorders. Adolescence is a particularly vulnerable time for the onset of psychiatric disorders and for circadian rhythm and sleep disruptions. Preclinical studies have found that circadian rhythm disruption (CRD) impacts the brain and behavior, but this research is largely focused on adult disruptions. Here, we sought to determine the long-term behavioral and neurobiological effects of CRD during early adolescence by exposing mice to 12 h shifts in the light/dark cycle. We hypothesized that adolescent CRD would have a greater effect on psychiatric-related behaviors, relative to adult disruption. To identify possible mechanisms, we also measured gene expression in brain regions relevant to circadian rhythms, mood and reward. We found that disruption during early adolescence, but not adulthood, persistently increased exploratory drive (risk-taking behavior) and cocaine preference when tested later in life. Interestingly, we found sex differences when intravenous cocaine self-administration was tested. While female mice with a history of adolescent CRD had a greater propensity to self-administer cocaine, as well as increased motivation and cue-induced reinstatement, male adolescent CRD mice had reduced motivation and extinction responding. Overall, adolescent CRD in mice caused persistent increases in risky behavior, cocaine reward and cocaine self-administration, which suggests that CRD during adolescence may predispose individuals towards substance use disorders. Importantly, we found that many transcripts were affected by adolescent CRD and these were largely distinct across sex and brain region. Future research is required to elucidate how adolescent CRD affects behaviors relevant to mood- and substance use-related disorders across the 24-hour day, as well as to identify intervention strategies to alleviate disruption during adolescence and novel therapeutic approaches once symptoms have begun.

Dataset Information

Economic inequality increases risk taking.

Publications

Economic inequality increases risk taking.

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