Affluence cues and first impressions: Does it matter how the affluence was acquired?

To examine the effect of affluence source on person perception, 312 American undergraduates read one scenario that depicted either a man or a woman in one of six home settings: less affluent, affluent (source of affluence unspecified) or affluent, with affluence attributable to either promotions, entrepreneurial success, luck, or inheritance. Participants rated the scenario character on the Big Five Personality Factors and indicated their desire to have the character's lifestyle. Multivariate analyses of variance and subsequent tests revealed that people who acquired affluence via external means (particularly inheritance) were perceived as less conscientious and open to experience than people who acquired affluence via internal means (particularly entrepreneurial success). Sources of affluence had no influence on preference for an affluent lifestyle.