Inequality and fairness with heterogeneous endowments

Milena Tsvetkova; Oana Vuculescu; Petar Dinev; Jacob Sherson; Claudia Wagner

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0276864

Inequality and fairness with heterogeneous endowments

Milena Tsvetkova^*, Oana Vuculescu, Petar Dinev, Jacob Sherson, Claudia Wagner

^*Corresponding author af dette arbejde

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift/Konferencebidrag i tidsskrift /Bidrag til avis › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › peer review

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Abstract

People differ in intelligence, cognitive ability, personality traits, motivation, and similar valued and, to a large degree, inherited characteristics that determine success and achievements. When does individual heterogeneity lead to a fair distribution of rewards and outcomes? Here, we develop this question theoretically and then test it experimentally for a set of structural conditions in a specific interaction situation. We first catalogue the functional relationship between individual endowments and outcomes to distinguish between fairness concepts such as meritocracy, equality of opportunity, equality of outcomes, and Rawl’s theory of justice. We then use an online experiment to study which of these fairness patterns emerge when differently endowed individuals can share their resources with others, depending on whether information about others’ endowments and outcomes is available. We find that while visible outcomes lessen inequality by decreasing the statistical dispersion of outcomes across the group, endowments need to be visible for better equality of opportunity for the most disadvantaged.

Originalsprog	Engelsk
Artikelnummer	e0276864
Tidsskrift	PLOS ONE
Vol/bind	17
Nummer	10
Antal sider	24
ISSN	1932-6203
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0276864
Status	Udgivet - okt. 2022

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10.1371/journal.pone.0276864Licens: CC BY

Tsvetkova_2022_Inequality_and_fairness_with_heterogeneousForlagets udgivne version, 1,04 MBLicens: CC BY

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abstract = "People differ in intelligence, cognitive ability, personality traits, motivation, and similar valued and, to a large degree, inherited characteristics that determine success and achievements. When does individual heterogeneity lead to a fair distribution of rewards and outcomes? Here, we develop this question theoretically and then test it experimentally for a set of structural conditions in a specific interaction situation. We first catalogue the functional relationship between individual endowments and outcomes to distinguish between fairness concepts such as meritocracy, equality of opportunity, equality of outcomes, and Rawl{\textquoteright}s theory of justice. We then use an online experiment to study which of these fairness patterns emerge when differently endowed individuals can share their resources with others, depending on whether information about others{\textquoteright} endowments and outcomes is available. We find that while visible outcomes lessen inequality by decreasing the statistical dispersion of outcomes across the group, endowments need to be visible for better equality of opportunity for the most disadvantaged.",

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AU - Vuculescu, Oana

AU - Dinev, Petar

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AU - Wagner, Claudia

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AB - People differ in intelligence, cognitive ability, personality traits, motivation, and similar valued and, to a large degree, inherited characteristics that determine success and achievements. When does individual heterogeneity lead to a fair distribution of rewards and outcomes? Here, we develop this question theoretically and then test it experimentally for a set of structural conditions in a specific interaction situation. We first catalogue the functional relationship between individual endowments and outcomes to distinguish between fairness concepts such as meritocracy, equality of opportunity, equality of outcomes, and Rawl’s theory of justice. We then use an online experiment to study which of these fairness patterns emerge when differently endowed individuals can share their resources with others, depending on whether information about others’ endowments and outcomes is available. We find that while visible outcomes lessen inequality by decreasing the statistical dispersion of outcomes across the group, endowments need to be visible for better equality of opportunity for the most disadvantaged.

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Inequality and fairness with heterogeneous endowments

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