Unequal chances: ex ante fairness and individual control

Abstract Unequal financial outcomes often originate from unequal chances. Yet, compared to outcomes, little is known about how individuals perceive unequal distributions of chances. We investigate empirically the role of different sources of unequal chances in shaping inequality perceptions. Importa...

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Autores principales:	Leticia Micheli, Nickolas Gagnon
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Nature Portfolio 2020
Materias:	Medicine R Science Q
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/8e3bda9a36084dc1aa1521a785f4fc21
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:8e3bda9a36084dc1aa1521a785f4fc212021-12-02T12:42:19ZUnequal chances: ex ante fairness and individual control10.1038/s41598-020-78335-w2045-2322https://doaj.org/article/8e3bda9a36084dc1aa1521a785f4fc212020-12-01T00:00:00Zhttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-78335-whttps://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322Abstract Unequal financial outcomes often originate from unequal chances. Yet, compared to outcomes, little is known about how individuals perceive unequal distributions of chances. We investigate empirically the role of different sources of unequal chances in shaping inequality perceptions. Importantly, we do so from an ex ante perspective—i.e., before the chances are realized—which has rarely been explored. In an online survey, we asked uninvolved respondents to evaluate ex ante the fairness of unequal allocations of chances. We varied the source of inequality of chances, using a comprehensive range of factors which resemble several real world situations. Respondents also evaluated how much control individuals hold over the distribution of chances. Results show that different sources generate different ex ante perception of fairness. That is, unequal chances based on socioeconomic and biological factors, such as gender, family income and ethnicity, are evaluated to be unfair relative to the same chances based on effort, knowledge, and benevolence. Results also show that, for most individuals, there is a positive correlation between perceived control of a factor and fairness of unequal chances based on that factor. Luck appears to be an exception to this correlation, ranking as high in fairness as effort, knowledge, and benevolence, but similarly low in individual control as ethnicity, family income, and gender.Leticia MicheliNickolas GagnonNature PortfolioarticleMedicineRScienceQENScientific Reports, Vol 10, Iss 1, Pp 1-10 (2020)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Medicine R Science Q
spellingShingle	Medicine R Science Q Leticia Micheli Nickolas Gagnon Unequal chances: ex ante fairness and individual control
description	Abstract Unequal financial outcomes often originate from unequal chances. Yet, compared to outcomes, little is known about how individuals perceive unequal distributions of chances. We investigate empirically the role of different sources of unequal chances in shaping inequality perceptions. Importantly, we do so from an ex ante perspective—i.e., before the chances are realized—which has rarely been explored. In an online survey, we asked uninvolved respondents to evaluate ex ante the fairness of unequal allocations of chances. We varied the source of inequality of chances, using a comprehensive range of factors which resemble several real world situations. Respondents also evaluated how much control individuals hold over the distribution of chances. Results show that different sources generate different ex ante perception of fairness. That is, unequal chances based on socioeconomic and biological factors, such as gender, family income and ethnicity, are evaluated to be unfair relative to the same chances based on effort, knowledge, and benevolence. Results also show that, for most individuals, there is a positive correlation between perceived control of a factor and fairness of unequal chances based on that factor. Luck appears to be an exception to this correlation, ranking as high in fairness as effort, knowledge, and benevolence, but similarly low in individual control as ethnicity, family income, and gender.
format	article
author	Leticia Micheli Nickolas Gagnon
author_facet	Leticia Micheli Nickolas Gagnon
author_sort	Leticia Micheli
title	Unequal chances: ex ante fairness and individual control
title_short	Unequal chances: ex ante fairness and individual control
title_full	Unequal chances: ex ante fairness and individual control
title_fullStr	Unequal chances: ex ante fairness and individual control
title_full_unstemmed	Unequal chances: ex ante fairness and individual control
title_sort	unequal chances: ex ante fairness and individual control
publisher	Nature Portfolio
publishDate	2020
url	https://doaj.org/article/8e3bda9a36084dc1aa1521a785f4fc21
work_keys_str_mv	AT leticiamicheli unequalchancesexantefairnessandindividualcontrol AT nickolasgagnon unequalchancesexantefairnessandindividualcontrol
_version_	1718393697886797824

Unequal chances: ex ante fairness and individual control

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