Perceived economic inequality enlarges the perceived humanity gap between low- and high-socioeconomic status groups

Mario Sainz; Rocío Martínez; Juan Matamoros-Lima; Miguel Moya; Rosa Rodríguez-Bailón

doi:10.1080/00224545.2022.2157699

Perceived economic inequality enlarges the perceived humanity gap between low- and high-socioeconomic status groups

J Soc Psychol. 2022 Dec 22:1-14. doi: 10.1080/00224545.2022.2157699. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Mario Sainz¹, Rocío Martínez², Juan Matamoros-Lima², Miguel Moya², Rosa Rodríguez-Bailón²

Affiliations

¹ Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.
² University of Granada.

PMID: 36545818
DOI: 10.1080/00224545.2022.2157699

Abstract

In this paper, we analyze the influence of the perceived level of economic inequality in daily life on people's recognition of the perceived humanity gap between low- and high-socioeconomic groups within society. To achieve this purpose, in Studies 1A-B, we analyzed the relationship between economic inequality and the humanity gap. In Studies 2A-B, we manipulated the level of inequality (low vs. high) to identify differences in the humanity gap. Results indicated that higher perceptions of economic inequality lead individuals to recognize a wider humanity gap between low- and high-socioeconomic groups in society. Implications are discussed.

Keywords: Economic inequality; dehumanization; poverty; socioeconomic status; wealth.