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Ruggeri K, Tutuska OS, Ladini GAR, Al-Zahli N, Alexander N, Andersen MH, Bibilouri K, Chen J, Doubravová B, Dugué T, Durrani AA, Dutra N, Farrokhnia RA, Folke T, Ge S, Gomes C, Gracheva A, Grilc N, Gürol DM, Heidenry Z, Hu C, Krasner R, Levin R, Li J, Messenger AME, Nilsson F, Oberschulte JM, Obi T, Pan A, Park SY, Pelica S, Pyrkowski M, Rabanal K, Ranc P, Recek ŽM, Pascu DS, Symeonidou A, Vdovic M, Yuan Q, Garcia-Garzon E, Ashcroft-Jones S. The psychology and policy of overcoming economic inequality. Behav Brain Sci 2023; 46:e174. [PMID: 37646271 DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x23001103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Recent arguments claim that behavioral science has focused - to its detriment - on the individual over the system when construing behavioral interventions. In this commentary, we argue that tackling economic inequality using both framings in tandem is invaluable. By studying individuals who have overcome inequality, "positive deviants," and the system limitations they navigate, we offer potentially greater policy solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Ruggeri
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA ; https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/people/our-faculty/dr2946
- Policy Research Group, Centre for Business Research, Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | | | - Narjes Al-Zahli
- Department of Computer Science, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Natalia Alexander
- Department of Conflict Resolution, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mathias Houe Andersen
- Department of Psychology and Behavioural Sciences, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | - Jennifer Chen
- Department of Economics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Barbora Doubravová
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Studies, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Tatianna Dugué
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Aleena Asfa Durrani
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA ; https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/people/our-faculty/dr2946
| | - Nicholas Dutra
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Tomas Folke
- Policy Research Group, Centre for Business Research, Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Suwen Ge
- Columbia University Business School, New York, NY, USA
| | - Christian Gomes
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Aleksandra Gracheva
- Department of Political Science, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Political Science, Paris Institute of Political Studies (Sciences Po), Paris, France
| | - Neža Grilc
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, London, UK
| | | | - Zoe Heidenry
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Clara Hu
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rachel Krasner
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Romy Levin
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Justine Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Fredrik Nilsson
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Division of Psychology, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Takashi Obi
- Department of Public Administration, School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Anastasia Pan
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sun Young Park
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sofia Pelica
- Psicologia Social e das Organizações, Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), Lisbon, Portugal
| | | | | | - Pika Ranc
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Žiga Mekiš Recek
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Daria Stefania Pascu
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialisation, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | | | - Milica Vdovic
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Media and Communications, Singidunum University, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Qihang Yuan
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Eduardo Garcia-Garzon
- School of Education and Health Sciences, Universidad Camilo José Cela, Madrid, Spain
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Ruggeri K, Ashcroft-Jones S, Abate Romero Landini G, Al-Zahli N, Alexander N, Andersen MH, Bibilouri K, Busch K, Cafarelli V, Chen J, Doubravová B, Dugué T, Durrani AA, Dutra N, Garcia-Garzon E, Gomes C, Gracheva A, Grilc N, Gürol DM, Heidenry Z, Hu C, Krasner R, Levin R, Li J, Messenger AME, Miralem M, Nilsson F, Oberschulte JM, Obi T, Pan A, Park SY, Pascu DS, Pelica S, Pyrkowski M, Rabanal K, Ranc P, Mekiš Recek Ž, Symeonidou A, Tutuska OS, Vdovic M, Yuan Q, Stock F. The persistence of cognitive biases in financial decisions across economic groups. Sci Rep 2023; 13:10329. [PMID: 37365245 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-36339-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
While economic inequality continues to rise within countries, efforts to address it have been largely ineffective, particularly those involving behavioral approaches. It is often implied but not tested that choice patterns among low-income individuals may be a factor impeding behavioral interventions aimed at improving upward economic mobility. To test this, we assessed rates of ten cognitive biases across nearly 5000 participants from 27 countries. Our analyses were primarily focused on 1458 individuals that were either low-income adults or individuals who grew up in disadvantaged households but had above-average financial well-being as adults, known as positive deviants. Using discrete and complex models, we find evidence of no differences within or between groups or countries. We therefore conclude that choices impeded by cognitive biases alone cannot explain why some individuals do not experience upward economic mobility. Policies must combine both behavioral and structural interventions to improve financial well-being across populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Ruggeri
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Columbia University, 722 W 168th Street, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Centre for Business Research, Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1AG, UK
| | | | | | - Narjes Al-Zahli
- Department of Computer Science, Columbia University, 500 W 120th Street, New York, NY, 10027, USA
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, 1180 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | | | - Mathias Houe Andersen
- Department of Psychology and Behavioural Sciences, Aarhus University, Bartholins Allé 11, 8000, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Katherine Bibilouri
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, 1180 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Katharina Busch
- German Center for Addiction Research in Childhood and Adolescence, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Valentina Cafarelli
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Columbia University, 722 W 168th Street, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Jennifer Chen
- Department of Economics, Columbia University, 420 W 118th Street, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Barbora Doubravová
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Studies, Masaryk University, Joštova 218/10, 60200, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Tatianna Dugué
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, 1180 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Aleena Asfa Durrani
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Columbia University, 722 W 168th Street, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Nicholas Dutra
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, 1180 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | | | - Christian Gomes
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, 1180 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Aleksandra Gracheva
- Department of Political Science, Columbia University, 420 W 118th Street, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Neža Grilc
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, Whitelands College, London, SW15 4JD, UK
| | | | - Zoe Heidenry
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, 1180 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Clara Hu
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, 1180 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Rachel Krasner
- Department of Psychology, Barnard College, Columbia University, 3009 Broadway, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Romy Levin
- Department of Psychology, Barnard College, Columbia University, 3009 Broadway, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Justine Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, 1212 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | | | | | - Fredrik Nilsson
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Division of Psychology, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Takashi Obi
- Department of Public Administration, Columbia University, 420 West 118th Street, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Anastasia Pan
- Department of Psychology, Barnard College, Columbia University, 3009 Broadway, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Sun Young Park
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, 1180 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Daria Stefania Pascu
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialisation, University of Padua, Via Venezia 12, 35131, Padua, PD, Italy
| | - Sofia Pelica
- Department of Social and Organizational Psychology, Iscte-University Institute of Lisbon, Avenida das Forças Armadas, 1649-026, Lisbon, Portugal
| | | | - Katherinne Rabanal
- Department of Cognitive Science, Columbia University, 116th & Broadway, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Pika Ranc
- Department of Psychology, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva Cesta 2, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Žiga Mekiš Recek
- Department of Psychology, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva Cesta 2, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Alexandra Symeonidou
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK, Leiden, South Holland, The Netherlands
| | - Olivia Symone Tutuska
- Department of Sociology, Columbia University, 606 W 122nd Street, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Milica Vdovic
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Media and Communications, Singidunum University, Karadjordjeva 65, Belgrade, 11000, Serbia
| | - Qihang Yuan
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, 1180 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Friederike Stock
- University of Cologne, Albertus-Magnus-Platz, 50923, Cologne, Germany
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3
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Ruggeri K, Većkalov B, Bojanić L, Andersen TL, Ashcroft-Jones S, Ayacaxli N, Barea-Arroyo P, Berge ML, Bjørndal LD, Bursalıoğlu A, Bühler V, Čadek M, Çetinçelik M, Clay G, Cortijos-Bernabeu A, Damnjanović K, Dugue TM, Esberg M, Esteban-Serna C, Felder EN, Friedemann M, Frontera-Villanueva DI, Gale P, Garcia-Garzon E, Geiger SJ, George L, Girardello A, Gracheva A, Gracheva A, Guillory M, Hecht M, Herte K, Hubená B, Ingalls W, Jakob L, Janssens M, Jarke H, Kácha O, Kalinova KN, Karakasheva R, Khorrami PR, Lep Ž, Lins S, Lofthus IS, Mamede S, Mareva S, Mascarenhas MF, McGill L, Morales-Izquierdo S, Moltrecht B, Mueller TS, Musetti M, Nelsson J, Otto T, Paul AF, Pavlović I, Petrović MB, Popović D, Prinz GM, Razum J, Sakelariev I, Samuels V, Sanguino I, Say N, Schuck J, Soysal I, Todsen AL, Tünte MR, Vdovic M, Vintr J, Vovko M, Vranka MA, Wagner L, Wilkins L, Willems M, Wisdom E, Yosifova A, Zeng S, Ahmed MA, Dwarkanath T, Cikara M, Lees J, Folke T. The general fault in our fault lines. Nat Hum Behav 2021; 5:1369-1380. [PMID: 33888880 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-021-01092-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2020] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Pervading global narratives suggest that political polarization is increasing, yet the accuracy of such group meta-perceptions has been drawn into question. A recent US study suggests that these beliefs are inaccurate and drive polarized beliefs about out-groups. However, it also found that informing people of inaccuracies reduces those negative beliefs. In this work, we explore whether these results generalize to other countries. To achieve this, we replicate two of the original experiments with 10,207 participants across 26 countries. We focus on local group divisions, which we refer to as fault lines. We find broad generalizability for both inaccurate meta-perceptions and reduced negative motive attribution through a simple disclosure intervention. We conclude that inaccurate and negative group meta-perceptions are exhibited in myriad contexts and that informing individuals of their misperceptions can yield positive benefits for intergroup relations. Such generalizability highlights a robust phenomenon with implications for political discourse worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Ruggeri
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA. .,Policy Research Group, Centre for Business Research, Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Bojana Većkalov
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Lana Bojanić
- Department of Psychology and Mental Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | | | | | - Nélida Ayacaxli
- Department of Political Science, School of General Studies, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | | | - Aslı Bursalıoğlu
- Department of Psychology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Vanessa Bühler
- Department of Occupational, Economic and Social Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Centre for Behaviour Change, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Martin Čadek
- Carnegie School of Sport, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds, UK
| | - Melis Çetinçelik
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Georgia Clay
- Department of Social Psychology, Institute of Work, Organisational and Social Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Anna Cortijos-Bernabeu
- Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Kaja Damnjanović
- Department of Psychology, Laboratory for Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Tatianna M Dugue
- Department of Psychology, Columbia College, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Maya Esberg
- Barnard College, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Celia Esteban-Serna
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Ezra N Felder
- Department of Psychology, School of General Studies, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Maja Friedemann
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Patricia Gale
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Eduardo Garcia-Garzon
- School of Education and Health Sciences, Universidad Camilo José Cela, Villanueva de la Cañada, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sandra J Geiger
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Leya George
- UCL Interaction Centre, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Allegra Girardello
- Department of Neuroscience and Psychology, Columbia College, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Aleksandra Gracheva
- School of General Studies, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.,Political Humanities, Euro-Asia Program, Paris Institute of Political Studies [SciencesPo], Paris, France
| | - Anastasia Gracheva
- Department of Political Science, School of General Studies, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.,School of General Studies, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Marquis Guillory
- Department of Psychology, Columbia College, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Marlene Hecht
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Katharina Herte
- Social, Health and Organisational Psychology, Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Barbora Hubená
- National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic
| | - William Ingalls
- Department of Psychology, Columbia College, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lea Jakob
- National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic.,Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Margo Janssens
- Department of Organization Studies, Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg University, Tilburg, the Netherlands
| | - Hannes Jarke
- Policy Research Group, Centre for Business Research, Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Ondřej Kácha
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | | | - Peggah R Khorrami
- Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Health Policy and Management, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Žan Lep
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Samuel Lins
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | | | - Salomé Mamede
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Silvana Mareva
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Mafalda F Mascarenhas
- Instituto de Ciências Sociais e Faculdade de Psicologia, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Lucy McGill
- Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | | | - Bettina Moltrecht
- Evidence-Based Practice Unit, Anna Freud National Centre and University College London, London, UK
| | - Tasja S Mueller
- Department of Social and Organizational Psychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Marzia Musetti
- Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education and Applied Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Joakim Nelsson
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Thiago Otto
- Department of Psychology, Columbia College, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alessandro F Paul
- Department of Social, Economic, and Organizational Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Irena Pavlović
- Department of Psychology, Laboratory for Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Marija B Petrović
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Dora Popović
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Croatian Studies, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | | | - Josip Razum
- Ivo Pilar Institute of Social Sciences, Zagreb, Croatia
| | | | - Vivian Samuels
- Department of Psychology, School of General Studies, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Inés Sanguino
- Department of Social Policy and Intervention, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Nicolas Say
- Faculty of Business Administration, University of Economics, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jakob Schuck
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Science, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Irem Soysal
- Department of Psychology, Columbia College, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Anna Louise Todsen
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Faculty of Arts, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Markus R Tünte
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Milica Vdovic
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Media and Communications, Singidunum University, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Jáchym Vintr
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Maja Vovko
- Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | | | - Lisa Wagner
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lauren Wilkins
- Department of Psychology, Columbia College, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Manou Willems
- National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic
| | - Elizabeth Wisdom
- Department of Psychology, School of General Studies, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Aleksandra Yosifova
- Department of Cognitive Science and Psychology, School of Graduate Studies, New Bulgarian University, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Sandy Zeng
- Department of Psychology, Columbia College, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mahmoud A Ahmed
- Department of Psychology, St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN, USA
| | | | - Mina Cikara
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jeffrey Lees
- Harvard Business School, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Economics, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
| | - Tomas Folke
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.,Policy Research Group, Centre for Business Research, Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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