May 30, 2015 12:27 AM EDT
New research suggests that the amount of money you make may correlate with your levels of cynicism.
Researchers found that holding cynical beliefs could lower income levels later in life.
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"While previous research has associated cynicism with detrimental outcomes across a wide range of spheres of life, including physical health, psychological well-being and marital adjustment, the present research has established an association between cynicism and individual economic success," Olga Stavrova, lead author on the study, said in a statement.
For the study, Stravrova and her colleagues reviewed four studies using survey data from the United States and Europe. The first two studies looked at cynicism in national surveys of Americans and income level at a later date. In both studies, a high level of cynicism was associated with lower income.
The third study, which was based in Germany, found that after nine years people with low levels of cynicism earned on average $300 per month more than their more cynical counterparts.
The last study examined data from 41 countries and found a "negative association between cynicism and lower income was strongest in countries with higher levels of altruistic behavior, lower homicide rates and lower levels of overall societal cynicism," researchers said.
"There are actually some countries where cynical individuals do not necessarily earn less than their less cynical compatriots," Stavrova said. "These countries are those with pervasively high societal cynicism scores, rare pro-social behavior (e.g., charity donations) and widespread antisocial behavior (as indicated by high homicide rates) - in other words, countries where cynicism might be justified or even somewhat functional."
She believes this may be because cynical individuals are less likely to trust others and therefore forgo cooperation opportunities.
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The findings are detailed in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
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