Nicole Yadon, Assistant Professor, Political Science, The Ohio State University
Title: Correcting Misperceptions of Wealth Inequality: Contextualizing the Historical Roots of Racial Wealth Gaps
Abstract: Racial disparities in wealth lead to unequal access to opportunities in the U.S. This paper investigates how Black/White and Hispanic/White wealth gaps are (mis)understood by Americans and tests potential interventions to correct these misperceptions. In Study 1, we show that 96% of Americans underestimate racial disparities in wealth between Black and Hispanic vs White Americans. In Study 2, we examine whether individuals update their misperceptions about racial wealth inequality, and pinpoint the downstream attitudinal and policy preference consequences of these changes. We test two interventions designed to correct misperceptions about the racial wealth gap—(1) providing numerical information stating the actual wealth gap size alongside the participant’s estimate of its size; (2) providing this numerical information plus explaining the historical context contributing to racial wealth gaps (e.g. redlining). We find that being exposed to the intervention including historical context increases Americans’ interest in taking actions against racial disparities in wealth and support for equalizing policies. Moreover, we find these shifts are driven by heightened structural attributions for racial disparities in wealth and, to a lesser extent, by an increased belief that Black and Hispanic Americans face discrimination. This study adds to a growing body of work aimed at combatting misinformation about racial wealth inequalities by identifying an effective strategy for increasing public support for wealth-equalizing interventions.
