Inequality is considered by the United Nations a pressing challenge of our time. While research has advanced understanding of perceptions and consequences of outcome inequality, such as income/wealth disparities, it has neglected the role of opportunity inequality -- unequal means to achieve outcomes. As a consequence, little is known about how individuals understand the relationship between outcome and opportunity inequality and what are the consequences for behavior and policy. Opportunity inequality plays a fundamental role in perpetuating poverty and economic disparities, hence its exploration is of critical value.  

Research objective

This proposal provides a comprehensive investigation of individuals’ aversion to opportunity and outcome inequality to achieve two goals. First, we will develop and validate a novel experimental task to measure aversion to opportunity inequality relative to outcome inequality. This task will provide the first empirical assessment of how individuals weigh these competing notions of equality. Second using a nationally representative sample in the Netherlands, we will examine subjective and objective predictors of preferences for outcome equality versus opportunity equality.  

Interdisciplinary approach

By integrating insights from experimental psychology and economics, this interdisciplinary project will advance our understanding of how individuals think of inequality, while fostering new collaborations between psychologists and economists at Leiden University.  

• kiem grant

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