Playing a rigged game: Inequality's effect on physiological stress responses

Area of Science:

• Social Psychology
• Health Psychology
• Behavioral Economics

Background:

• Societal income and wealth inequality correlate with increased health and social issues.
• Stress from perceived unfairness in unequal systems is a potential contributing factor.

Purpose of the Study:

• To simulate income inequality in a controlled laboratory setting.
• To measure various physiological and self-reported stress responses to simulated inequality.

Main Methods:

• Ninety-six participants were assigned to four groups varying in game difficulty and fairness.
• Stress was assessed using the Short Stress State Questionnaire (SSSQ), salivary cortisol, facial EMG, heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), and skin conductance levels (SCL).

Main Results:

• Higher cortisol levels and HRV were observed in participants playing unfair games, irrespective of problem difficulty.
• The disadvantaged group (unfair game, hard problems) showed elevated facial muscle activity and higher reported distress.
• Experiencing inequality, even briefly and with potential personal benefit, induced stress responses.

Conclusions:

• Simulated inequality reliably elicits physiological and psychological stress responses.
• Unfairness appears to be a primary driver of stress in unequal environments.
• These findings highlight the detrimental impact of inequality on individual well-being.