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Communication matters: sensitivity in fairness evaluations across wealth inequality expressions and levels

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  • Annalena Oppel

Abstract

This paper seeks to understand whether the way in which inequality is communicated through measurements influences individuals' fairness perceptions regarding wealth inequality. It begins from the premise that prominent measures of inequality, such as the Gini coefficient, fall short of providing an intuitive understanding of inequality for most people. Following approaches in the behavioural economics domain, the paper explores the effects of four different presentations of inequality in a survey experiment.

Suggested Citation

  • Annalena Oppel, 2023. "Communication matters: sensitivity in fairness evaluations across wealth inequality expressions and levels," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2023-86, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    • Handle: RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp-2023-86
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    3. Zhang, Yanling & Chen, Xiaojie & Liu, Aizhi & Sun, Changyin, 2018. "The effect of the stake size on the evolution of fairness," Applied Mathematics and Computation, Elsevier, vol. 321(C), pages 641-653.
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    5. Axel Ockenfels & Gary E. Bolton, 2000. "ERC: A Theory of Equity, Reciprocity, and Competition," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 90(1), pages 166-193, March.
    6. Ping Xu & James C. Garand, 2010. "Economic Context and Americans' Perceptions of Income Inequality," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 91(5), pages 1220-1241, December.
    7. Klaus Abbink & Donna Harris, 2019. "In-group favouritism and out-group discrimination in naturally occurring groups," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(9), pages 1-13, September.
    8. Ping Xu & James C. Garand, 2010. "Economic Context and Americans' Perceptions of Income Inequality," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 91(s1), pages 1220-1241.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Wealth inequality; Survey; Experiments; Wealth; Measurement; Inequality measurement;
    All these keywords.

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