Work

How perceptions of autonomy relate to beliefs about inequality and fairness

Year: 2021

Type: article

Abstract: Although inequality in the US has increased since the 1960s, several studies show that Americans underestimate it. Reasons include overreliance on one's local perspective and ideologically-motivated cognition. We propose a novel mechanism to account for the misperceptions of income inequality. We hypothesize that compared to those who feel less autonomy, the people who believe they are autonomous and have control over their lives also believe that (1) income inequality is lower and (2) income inequality is more acceptable. Using a representative sample of 3,427 Americans, we find evidence to support these hypotheses.

Source: PLoS ONE

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0244387

Authors: Abraham Aldama, Cristina Bicchieri, Jana Freundt, Barbara Mellers, Ellen Peters

Institutions: University of Pennsylvania, University of Fribourg, University of Oregon

Language: English

Topic: Income, Poverty, and Inequality

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,749