Wanting More, Caring Less: Greed Promotes Objectification by Enhancing Self-Enhancement Values and Undermining Self-Transcendence Values
European Journal of Personality July 26, 2026 Zhenzhen Liu, Xiaomin Sun
Greedy individuals desire more social connections yet tend to have shorter relationships and experience greater loneliness. What explains this paradox? We propose that greed promotes interpersonal objectification—treating others as tools to fulfill acquisitive goals—through shifts in personal values. Across five studies (three preregistered; total N = 1,199), using both correlational designs...