Feb 24, 2022
In an interview with the Süddeutsche Zeitung, Dr. Simone Schneider talked about her research on perceptions of inequality, emphasising the role of social comparisons, the influence of social context, and the importance of our sense for justice for life satisfaction. The conversation highlights findings that our PERGAP project builds upon, contextualizing this research for readers in Munich.
Key Highlights from the Interview:
- In 2017, Munich was home to 1,386 millionaires, while nearly 20% of the population lived in risk of poverty, meaning their income fell below 60% of the median.
- Research suggests that we often underestimate the scale of income inequality. The wealth of the rich is particularly hard for many to grasp – we simply have no idea how rich they really are!
- One key reason for these perceptual biases is a lack of accessible information. In our everyday lives, we do not easily encounter accurate data, and we often socialise with people similar to us, which gives us a skewed picture of society.
- Many of us are not fully aware of our own social standing. We often assume we are somewhere in the middle —a phenomenon termed ‘trend towards the middle’ or the ‘middle-class illusion’: those at the bottom may overestimate their position, while those at the top tend to underestimate theirs relative to their actual income or educational level.
- Our self-perceptions are influenced by the broader social context. For instance, individuals living in highly unequal societies, such as the UK, tend to rank themselves lower on the social ladder compared to those in more equal societies like Denmark of Sweden. Upward comparisons may help explain this difference.
- Social comparisons play a key role in shaping our well-being, but it is not how often we compare ourselves to others that matters – it is who we compare ourselves with.
- We tend to feel more satisfied when we perceive that both – we and others – are getting what we deserve. A sense of justice is crucial to our overall wellbeing.
- Our factual circumstances influence our standards of justice. A striking example is the gender pay gap: while many of us may deny having biases when asked directly, research employing more nuanced methods reveals a persistent tendency – even among women – to view lower wages for women as justified.
Read the full conversation below in German:
