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The Joint Effect of Social Comparison and Social Distance on Evaluation of Intertemporal Choice Outcomes in Event-related Potential Studies
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Can cognitive dissonance explain beliefs regarding meritocracy?

William Foley1

  • 1Department of Social Sciences, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Getafe, Spain.

Social Science Research
|April 12, 2024
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Summary

Economically disadvantaged individuals may perceive inequality as fair, not due to meritocracy, but when they lack control over their circumstances, leading to a fatalistic outlook.

Keywords:
ControlDistributive justiceInequalityUncertainty

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Area of Science:

  • Social Psychology
  • Behavioral Economics
  • Justice Studies

Background:

  • Economically disadvantaged populations often perceive inequality as fair.
  • Meritocracy, where fairness is tied to effort and input, is a common explanation.
  • However, real-world uncertainty in income and merit distribution complicates this.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate why disadvantaged individuals legitimize their disadvantage.
  • To test the theory that cognitive dissonance drives the perception of fairness in inequality.
  • To explore the role of control in perceptions of economic inequality.

Main Methods:

  • An online experiment was conducted to test the cognitive dissonance theory.
  • Qualitative data analysis was used to understand the psychological responses to inequality and control.

Main Results:

  • The study did not find support for cognitive dissonance as a mechanism for perceiving meritocracy.
  • Disadvantaged individuals were more likely to view inequality as fair when they lacked control.
  • Deprivation of control was linked to a fatalistic response to inequality.

Conclusions:

  • Cognitive dissonance does not appear to be the primary driver for disadvantaged individuals accepting inequality.
  • Lack of control, rather than perceived merit, significantly influences the acceptance of inequality.
  • A sense of fatalism emerges when individuals feel a deprivation of control.