Attitude and Divergence in Business Students: An Examination of Personality Differences in Business and Non-Business Students

Abstract

Many studies have reported that economics and business students have been more apt to act in selfinterested ways when compared to their counterparts in other academic fields. It is our contention that past studies have not shed light on the underlying psychological differences which might be leading to this difference in behavior. We put forth evidence that certain business majors are correlated with a marked increase in levels of narcissism and decreased levels of empathy, as measured by psychological personality tests.Many studies have reported that economics and business students have been more apt to act in selfinterested ways when compared to their counterparts in other academic fields. It is our contention that past studies have not shed light on the underlying psychological differences which might be leading to this difference in behavior. We put forth evidence that certain business majors are correlated with a marked increase in levels of narcissism and decreased levels of empathy, as measured by psychological personality tests.