Have you ever walked past a wealthy-looking person on the street and felt like they barely noticed you?
It turns out, science backs up that feeling.
Studies show that wealthier individuals literally pay less attention to those around them compared to people from lower social classes.
A team of psychologists at New York University conducted a series of experiments and found compelling evidence that wealth influences how much people notice others.
The reason? “Motivational relevance.”
In simple terms, humans naturally pay more attention to things that might help or hurt them.
For people in lower social classes, other people matter more—whether for support, collaboration, or survival.
For the wealthy, however? The rest of us just aren’t that important.
This isn’t about rudeness or conscious snobbery.
The research suggests that this behavior is deeply ingrained, automatic, and cultural.
But does this mean that rich people are inherently less empathetic? Or is there more to the story?
How Psychologists Caught the Rich “Not Looking”
To test this theory, researchers devised a clever experiment.
They recruited 61 pedestrians in New York City, outfitted them with Google Glass, and asked them to walk down the street.
The participants had previously self-reported their social class, allowing researchers to compare behaviors across different income levels.
The goal? To track what they were actually looking at.
The findings were revealing:
- Social class did not affect how often people glanced at others.
- But it did affect how long they spent looking.
- Wealthier participants spent significantly less time looking at other people.
This wasn’t a one-time result.
To confirm their findings, the researchers conducted another experiment with 393 online participants.
In this test, participants were shown pairs of images, each containing a face and several objects.
The images alternated, and participants were asked to identify what changed.
The results?
Higher-class individuals took longer to notice when the face changed, suggesting that they simply weren’t paying as much attention to people compared to lower-class individuals.
These results strongly support the idea that people from lower social classes are naturally more attuned to those around them, while wealthier people may, in a sense, be psychologically wired to “tune out” others.
But is that the full picture?
Are the Rich Just Less Empathetic? Not Exactly.
It’s tempting to assume that rich people ignore others because they lack empathy.
But this isn’t necessarily true.
Research suggests that wealth actually changes how the brain processes social information.
A study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that people from wealthier backgrounds struggle more with accurately reading emotions compared to those from lower-income backgrounds.
Why? Because they simply don’t rely on others as much.
For example, in lower-income communities:
- Survival often depends on strong social connections.
- People rely on neighbors, friends, and family for support.
- Reading social cues accurately is critical.
In contrast, wealthier individuals have more financial and social independence.
They don’t need to read emotions as closely because they aren’t as reliant on community support.
This doesn’t mean all rich people lack empathy. Rather, their environment and upbringing shape their social awareness differently.
As researcher Pia Dietze explains:
“Like other cultural groups, social class affects information processing in a pervasive and spontaneous manner.”
In other words, this isn’t about personal choice—it’s about how different social classes develop different cognitive habits.
Why Lower-Class Individuals Notice More
Psychologists call this motivational relevance—the idea that we focus on things that impact our well-being.
- Lower-class individuals: More dependent on social interactions → Pay closer attention to people.
- Higher-class individuals: More financially independent → Focus less on those around them.
This phenomenon isn’t just seen in everyday interactions—it also shows up in eye-tracking studies.
A study from the University of California found that:
- Lower-income individuals spent more time looking at people’s faces.
- Wealthier individuals spent more time looking at objects.
These differences in attention shape how people navigate the world.
For example:
- If you grow up in a tight-knit community where people rely on each other, you naturally become more socially aware.
- If you grow up with wealth and independence, your brain learns to filter out “unnecessary” social information.
So when a rich person seems to ignore you on the street, it’s not necessarily because they don’t care—it’s likely because their brain isn’t wired to register you as “important.”
How This Affects Society
This difference in attention has real-world consequences.
Consider these scenarios:
- Politics and Policy:
- Wealthy lawmakers may struggle to fully grasp the struggles of lower-income individuals simply because they don’t “see” them the same way.
- Policies may be crafted with less awareness of how they impact everyday people.
- Workplace Leadership:
- Studies show that wealthier CEOs are less likely to notice employee distress or engage in empathetic leadership.
- This could explain why some executives make decisions that seem detached from their workers’ experiences.
- Charitable Giving:
- Research suggests that lower-income individuals donate a larger percentage of their income to charity than wealthier individuals.
- One reason? They’re more attuned to suffering.
These findings suggest that bridging the gap between social classes isn’t just about money—it’s about awareness.
Should We Be Concerned?
Yes—and here’s why.
If wealth influences how much people notice others, it raises important ethical questions:
- Should leaders and policymakers receive empathy training?
- Should corporate executives be required to engage more directly with employees?
- How do we ensure that social policies reflect the needs of all citizens, not just the wealthy?
The good news? Awareness can change behavior.
As Dietze and her colleagues point out:
“The more we know about the effect of social class differences, the better we can address widespread societal issues.”
Understanding how wealth shapes attention and empathy could help create policies that encourage more meaningful social interactions between classes.
Can the Rich Learn to See the Rest of Us?
So, do rich people really ignore others? Science says yes—but not out of malice.
Their environment and social status shape how they pay attention, making them less likely to notice those around them.
But here’s the key takeaway: This isn’t set in stone.
By increasing awareness, fostering social engagement, and encouraging diverse interactions, we can break down these psychological barriers and create a society where everyone is seen, heard, and valued.
What do you think? Have you ever experienced this firsthand? Share your thoughts in the comments!
