Testing the efficacy of three informational interventions for reducing misperceptions of the Black–White wealth gap

Abstract

Americans remain unaware of the magnitude of economic inequality in the nation and the degree to which it is patterned by race. We exposed a community sample of respondents to one of three interventions designed to promote a more realistic understanding of the Black–White wealth gap. The interventions conformed to recommendations in messaging about racial inequality drawn from the social sciences yet differed in how they highlighted data-based trends in Black–White wealth inequality, a single personal narrative, or both. Data interventions were more effective than the narrative in both shifting how people talk about racial wealth inequality—eliciting less speech about personal achievement—and, critically, lowering estimates of Black–White wealth equality for at least 18 mo following baseline, which aligned more with federal estimates of the Black–White wealth gap. Findings from this study highlight how data, along with current recommendations in the social sciences, can be leveraged to promote more accurate understandings of the magnitude of racial inequality in society, laying the necessary groundwork for messaging about equity-enhancing policy.

Reminders of Japanese redress and Asian American support for Black reparations

“…The current research also helps us better understand ways to message about racial inequality on policy issues like reparations for Black Americans, without engendering backlash among conservatives (Jost et al, 2003). In prior work, informational interventions were useful in helping participants have more realistic perceptions of Black-White wealth inequality, but despite those interventions, relevant policy preferences remained unchanged (Callaghan et al, 2021;Hutchings et al, 2021). Here we seek to determine if policy change around redress is possible through the use of informational interventions, and to better understand the messaging strategies that lead to these policy preference changes.…”

“…In other work these interventions have had less success: For instance, exposure to data on incarceration rates can increase stereotype consistent beliefs about Black Americans (Hetey & Eberhardt, 2018). The way the history is told also tends to matter, with current practices stressing the use of common identity as a starting point for the messaging (Nier et al, 2002), as well as the need for sense making and nonjudgmental listening also perhaps central to policy persuasion (Broockman & Kalla, 2016;Callaghan et al, 2021).…”

“…In recent research, reminders of Black-White wealth inequality in the context of data on inequality in wealth, education funding, health, and housing increased accuracy in perceptions of the Black-White wealth gap that lasted for up to 18 months after the intervention (Callaghan et al, 2021). This type of informational intervention may have worked because Black-White wealth inequality is a fact that Americans are largely unaware of, or unwilling to grapple with, as several studies attest (Kraus et al, 2019;Richeson, 2020;Eibach & Keegan, 2006).…”

“…In this research, we build on prior research in the social sciences on informational intervention strategies for policy change (Callaghan et al, 2021; populations (Cortland et al, 2019;Craig & Richeson, 2016). Specifically, we investigate whether information about Japanese incarceration and reparation, relative to a control condition, would increase the likelihood that Asian Americans would support another movement for reparative economic justice: Reparations for Black American descendants of slavery.…”

Westerners Underestimate Global Inequality

“…In the USA, people either underestimate inequality (Norton & Ariely, 2011) or they overestimate it (Chambers et al, 2014;Eriksson & Simpson, 2013). This literature also investigates the racial wealth gap within the USA, showing that U.S. Americans vastly underestimate inequality between Black and White Americans (Kraus et al, 2017), a misconception that proves difficult to correct (Callaghan et al, 2021;Kraus et al, 2020;Onyeador et al, 2021). This is not unique to the U.S.; other North Americans, South Americans, and Europeans misperceive inequality in their own countries (Cruces et al, 2013;Fernández-Albertos & Kuo, 2015;Niehues, 2014).…”