Kathleen Vohs and colleagues presented research today about the links between interpersonal sensitivity and money. In several studies in her lab, she found that drawing people’s attention to money makes them less likely to be helpful to others, less likely to be charitable, and less likely to even want to sit close to another person. Researchers have replicated these findings across different age groups and different cultures. The million dollar question (pun intended) is: why would a focus on money lead people away from generosity and sensitivity? Perhaps, thinking about money leads to thoughts about power, and a desire to maintain power (i.e., by maintaining interpersonal distance). Or, in Vohs’s words, “money is all about keeping track of things,” which doesn’t usually encourage warm and fuzzy feelings.
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Dr. Charlotte Markey – Science of Relationships articles | Website/CV
Dr. Markey’s research addresses issues central to both developmental and health psychology. A primary focus of her research is social influences on eating-related behaviors (i.e., eating, dieting, body image) in both parent-child and romantic relationships.
Dr. Patrick Markey – Science of Relationships articles | Website/CV
Dr. Markey’s research focuses on how behavioral tendencies develop and are expressed within social relationships, including unhealthy dieting, civic behavior, personality judgment, and interpersonal aggression after playing violent video games. 
