 The Matthew Principle or Matthew Effect, also known as the Matthew Effect of Accumulated Advantage, is the tendency of individuals to increase their social or economic success over a period of time in proportion to their initial level of popularity, friends and wealth. The term was derived from Matthew's Gospel in the Bible. To those who have everything, everything will be given, but from those who have nothing, everything will be taken. In other words, wealth or credit is distributed among individuals according to how much they already have. The Matthew Effect is sometimes summarized by the adage, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. The Matthew Effect plays a crucial role in acquiring success in social, economic, educational and research fields.