One of the central issues at the intersection of economics and psychology is understanding the motives underlying human economic behavior. Greed, though widely recognized, remains ambiguously defined—sometimes narrowly as the desire for material wealth, other times more broadly as a drive for both tangible and intangible resources such as money, power, or recognition. A key characteristic of greed is its insatiability, often linked to social comparison and envy.


This study investigates how greed influences preferences across different categories of goods: economic (e.g., income), personal (e.g., appearance), and well-being-related (e.g., health).


A total of 137 participants were presented with choices in 11 domains. For each domain, they could select: (A) a positional advantage (more than others but less in absolute terms), (B) an absolute advantage (greater overall but less than others), or (C) an egalitarian option (equal to others, equivalent to the positional choice). Greed levels were assessed using the Dispositional Greed Scale.


Results showed that both greed and type of good shaped participants' preferences. Less greedy individuals tended to favor egalitarian options, seeking equality in both economic and personal domains. More greedy individuals more often chose positional options, prioritizing relative advantage over absolute gain. In well-being domains, maximization of absolute resources (e.g., health, sleep) was generally preferred across participants. However, among those who did not choose the absolute option, a divide emerged: less greedy individuals leaned toward egalitarian choices, while more greedy individuals emphasized positional advantage—particularly regarding health.


These findings suggest that greed extends beyond material goods, influencing preferences in personal and well-being domains. Higher greed is associated with stronger prioritization of relative advantage, even at the cost of absolute benefit. The results highlight the importance of treating greed not only as a quantitative drive for "more," but also as a socially comparative and hierarchical motivation, relevant to both economic and psychological frameworks.