TESTED THE HYPOTHESIS THAT MEMBERS OF THE ENTREPRENEURIAL MIDDLE CLASS WOULD BE MORE LIKELY THAN PEOPLE FROM THE BUREAUCRATIC MIDDLE CLASS TO ACT IN ACCORD WITH SOCIAL EXCHANGE CONCEPTIONS AND DISPLAY A RECIPROCITY ORIENTATION TOWARD GIVING AND GETTING. 345 WHITE ADOLESCENT BOYS WERE INDIVIDUALLY PLACED IN AN EXPERIMENTAL SITUATION IN WHICH THEY (1) 1ST RECEIVED HIGH OR LOW HELP WHEN THEY WERE IN NEED OF ASSISTANCE, AND THEN (2) WERE GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO HELP SOMEONE, EITHER THE PERSON WHO HAD WORKED FOR THEM OR SOMEONE ELSE. AS EXPECTED, THE LATER WORK IN BEHALF OF THE OTHER PERSON WAS MORE GREATLY AFFECTED BY THE LEVEL OF HELP RECEIVED EARLIER IN THE ENTREPRENEURIAL MIDDLE-CLASS SAMPLE THAN IN EITHER THE BUREAUCRATIC MIDDLE-CLASS OR WORKING-CLASS SAMPLES. THE ENTREPRENEURIAL BOYS WERE MOST APT TO GIVE ONLY TO THE EXTENT THEY HAD GOTTEN. EFFECT OF THE OTHER PERSON'S SOCIAL CLASS WAS ALSO CONSIDERED. (19 REF.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved)