The Importance of Representing Economic Inequality Saliently and to Scale

TY - ABST

T1 - The Importance of Representing Economic Inequality Saliently and to Scale

AU - Elbæk, Christian Truelsen

AU - Mitkidis, Panagiotis

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - Economic inequality is detrimental to modern societies, but support for redistributive policies tends to be low. Recent research has suggested that drawing individuals’ attention towards a group of wealthy individuals (vs. a single wealthy individual) can increase support for redistribution. However, a central prerequisite of such an argument is that individuals can actively comprehend the abstract size and difference in wealth between themselves and the wealthiest ones. Here, we propose that visualizing extreme wealth differences saliently can alter this effect, such that people increase support for redistribution, irrespective of whether this concerns a wealthy individual or a group of wealthy individuals. In a preregistered, nationally representative study across the U.S. (N = 1462), we find that representing economic inequality saliently and to scale, make individuals equally as likely to support redistributive policies irrespective of whether this concerns an individual or a group. Our findings provide clear suggestions for policy-making.

AB - Economic inequality is detrimental to modern societies, but support for redistributive policies tends to be low. Recent research has suggested that drawing individuals’ attention towards a group of wealthy individuals (vs. a single wealthy individual) can increase support for redistribution. However, a central prerequisite of such an argument is that individuals can actively comprehend the abstract size and difference in wealth between themselves and the wealthiest ones. Here, we propose that visualizing extreme wealth differences saliently can alter this effect, such that people increase support for redistribution, irrespective of whether this concerns a wealthy individual or a group of wealthy individuals. In a preregistered, nationally representative study across the U.S. (N = 1462), we find that representing economic inequality saliently and to scale, make individuals equally as likely to support redistributive policies irrespective of whether this concerns an individual or a group. Our findings provide clear suggestions for policy-making.

M3 - Conference abstract for conference

T2 - The International Behavioural Public Policy Conference 2022

Y2 - 7 September 2022 through 10 September 2022

ER -