The Matthew effect describes how individuals tend to accumulate further social or economic advantage in proportion to the popularity, wealth, connections or other advantages they already hold, often summarized as the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. The term was coined by the sociologists Robert K. Merton and Harriet Zuckerman in 1968, drawing on the biblical Parable of the Talents, and it describes how an initial edge compounds over time, making it progressively harder for someone who starts with fewer resources to catch up.
Facts
Core ClaimThe Matthew effect describes the tendency of individuals to accrue further social or economic success in proportion to the popularity, connections, wealth or other advantages they already hold. 1 First Described Year Classification
Type of Phenomenon Sources
1. Matthew effect, Wikipedia
Introduction section
the tendency of individuals to accrue social or economic success in proportion to their initial level of popularity, friends, wealth, and natural advantages
Lead section
it was coined by sociologists Robert K. Merton and Harriet Zuckerman in 1968.
lead section, phenomenon-kind classification
The Matthew effect, sometimes called the Matthew principle or cumulative advantage, is the tendency of individuals to accrue social or economic success in proportion to their initial level of popularity, friends, wealth, and natural advantages.
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