Inequality in personality and temporal discounting across socioeconomic status? Assessing the evidence.

Abstract Personality traits such as conscientiousness and impulsivity correlate with temporal discounting, the degree to which individuals discount the value of future relative to present rewards. These variables have, in turn, been hypothesized to relate to income inequality in the United States. A key but untested assumption of this hypothesis is that the association among these variables is distinct across socioeconomic classes. The purpose of the present research is to test that assumption. N =1,100 adults with annual income ranging from at or below the poverty line ($0-$20,000) to upper-middle class ($200,000+) completed personality measures and a measure of temporal discounting. Our results can inform psychological theories of inequality and a broader conversation about effective public policy.