Work

Social Preferences Over Taste‐Based Inequality

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT Many economic allocation decisions involve subjective judgment. This judgment may be perceived as fair when needs are considered but may seem unjust in cases of personal‐taste discrimination. In an experimental impartial‐spectator design, we explore perceptions of taste‐based inequality and compare them to attitudes toward inequalities grounded in objective procedures, namely, merit and luck. We find that while taste‐based inequality is perceived distinctly, it is treated as unfair, similar to luck and unlike merit. Additionally, our work suggests that the perception of merit as more fair than luck is primarily driven by individuals with above‐average income.

Source: International Economic Review

DOI: 10.1111/iere.12770

Authors: Rachelle Cohen, Amnon Maltz, Yuval Ofek‐Shanny

Institutions: University of Haifa, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg

Language: English

Topic: Experimental Behavioral Economics Studies

Subfield: Safety Research

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,570