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Is higher inequality less legitimate? Depends on How You Frame it!
Susanne Bruckmüller1, Gerhard Reese1, Sarah E Martiny2
1Department of Social, Environmental, and Economic Psychology, University of Koblenz-Landau, Germany.
The British Journal of Social Psychology
|May 27, 2017
Summary
People are more likely to view economic inequality as illegitimate when it is framed as a disadvantaged group having less. This highlights how language influences perceptions of fairness and social cohesion.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Behavioral Economics
- Sociology
Background:
- Rising global economic inequality is linked to negative health, well-being, and social cohesion outcomes.
- Perceptions of illegitimacy are crucial for motivating action against economic inequality.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how perceived magnitude of economic differences and descriptive framing jointly predict the legitimization of inequality.
- To test if framing inequality as a disadvantaged group having less versus an advantaged group having more impacts legitimacy beliefs.
Main Methods:
- Two experiments were conducted with a total of 190 participants.
- Participants evaluated the legitimacy of economic inequality presented with varying magnitudes and descriptive frames.
Main Results:
- Larger economic differences were perceived as less legitimate when framed as a disadvantaged group having less.
- When framed as an advantaged group having more, the magnitude of differences did not correlate with legitimacy beliefs.
Conclusions:
- The language used to describe economic inequality significantly influences its perceived legitimacy.
- Framing effects are important for understanding public perception and potential responses to economic disparities.
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