Suchergebnisse

Funding This research was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation under Grant (PID2019-105643GB-I00/SRA/10.13039/501100011033) and Grant (PCI2020-112285); and Junta of Andalucia under Grant (B-SEJ-128-UGR18). ; Prior research has shown the relationship between objective economic inequality and searching for positional goods. It also investigated the relationship between social class and low income with conspicuous consumption. However, the causal relationship between economic inequality (the difference in wealth between individuals and groups living in a shared context and consumer behavior) has been less explored. Furthermore, there are also few studies looking for the psychological mechanisms that underlie these effects. The current research's main goal is to analyze the consequences of perceived economic inequality (PEI) on conspicuous and status consumption and the possible psychological mechanisms that could explain its effects. Furthermore, the current research aims to examine whether there is a causal relationship between PEI and materialism preferences and attitudes toward indebtedness. This work includes two preregister experimental studies. In the Study 1 (n = 252), we manipulated PEI and its legitimacy through a 2 (high vs. low inequality) × 2 (Illegitimate vs. legitimate) between-participants experiment. Results showed a main effect of PEI on status consumption, status seeking, status anxiety, materialism, and attitude toward indebtedness. No interaction effect between legitimacy and inequality was found. In the Study 2 (n = 301), we manipulated the PEI through the Bimboola Paradigm. We replicated the effect of PEI on status consumption, status seeking, and materialism and found that status seeking mediated the relationship between PEI and status and conspicuous consumption. Economic inequality affects consumer behavior and favors consumption preferences for products that provide desirable symbolic values associated with status. These results could have important implications in the interpersonal and intergroup processes, including those related to consumption and purchase. ; Spanish Government PID2019-105643GB-I00/SRA/10.13039/501100011033 PCI2020-112285 ; Junta de Andalucia B-SEJ-128-UGR18

The present work was funded by the SRA (State Research Agency/10.13039/501100011033) of the Spanish Government and the European Social Fund (PSI2016-78839-P and PID2019-105643GB-I00), and by SRA Grant BES-2017-082707. ; Status anxiety, the constant concern about individuals' position on the social ladder, negatively affects social cohesion, health, and wellbeing (e.g., chronic stress). Given previous findings showing that status anxiety is associated with economic inequality, we aimed in this research to test this association experimentally. A cross-sectional study (Study 1) was run in order to discard confounding effects of the relationship between perceived economic inequality (PEI) and status anxiety, and to explore the mediating role of a competitive climate (N = 297). Then we predicted that people assigned to a condition of high inequality would perceive more status anxiety in their social context, and they would themselves report higher status anxiety. Thus, in an experimental study (Study 2) PEI was manipulated (N = 200). In Study 1, PEI uniquely predicted status anxiety, and perceived competitiveness mediated the relationship. In Study 2 PEI increased perceived contextual status anxiety, a specific form of perceived competitiveness based on socioeconomic status (SES). Moreover, preliminary evidence of an indirect effect was found from PEI to personal status anxiety, through (higher) perceived contextual status anxiety. These preliminary findings provide experimental evidence for the effects of economic inequality on status anxiety and the mechanism involved. Economic inequality makes people feel that they live in a society where they are constantly concerned and competing with each other for their SES. These results could have important implications as health and wellbeing could be promoted by reducing economic inequalities and the competitive and materialistic environments of our societies. ; Spanish Government European Commission 10.13039/501100011033 ; European Social Fund (ESF) PSI2016-78839-P PID2019-105643GB-I00 ; SRA Grant BES-2017-082707

Este trabajo fue realizado en el marco de los estudios doctorales del primer autor, financiados por la beca Colciencias 729 de Colombia. Agradecemos también el apoyo recibido de los proyectos financiados por agencias nacionales y regionales de España (PID2019-105643GB-I00, PCI2020-112285 y B-SEJ-128-UGR18) y del Centro de Estudios de Conflicto y Cohesión Social (COES) (ANID/FONDAP/15130009). ; En este estudio analizamos la percepción de la desigualdad económica en España en la vida cotidiana de acuerdo con la ideología política. Mediante técnicas de análisis de contenido, procesamos 705 respuestas abiertas de 290 personas y usamos análisis de redes para examinar las relaciones entre las categorías identificadas. Encontramos que la desigualdad económica se percibe principalmente como comparación social y privación relativa entre personas/grupos; y más en términos de justicia social, cuando las personas se situaron a la izquierda (vs. la derecha) del espectro político. Discutimos la percepción de la desigualdad económica como un fenómeno multidimensional situado en la vida cotidiana, que influye en la forma de entender y reaccionar ante las disparidades sociales. ; In this study, we analyze the perception of economic inequality in everyday life in Spain based on political ideology. Using content analysis techniques, we processed 705 open-ended responses from 290 people and used network analysis to examine the relationships between the categories identified. We found that economic inequality is perceived primarily as social comparison and relative deprivation between individuals/groups. However, it is perceived more in terms of social justice when people are situated on the left (vs. the right) of the political spectrum. We discuss the perception of economic inequality as a multidimensional phenomenon situated in everyday life, which influences how we understand and react to social disparities. ; Neste estudo, analisamos a percepção da desigualdade econômica na vida cotidiana de jovens na Espanha de acordo com a ideologia política. Com base em técnicas de análise de conteúdo, processamos 705 respostas abertas de 290 pessoas e usamos análise de redes para examinar as relações entre as categorias identificadas. Constatamos que a desigualdade econômica é percebida principalmente como comparação social e privação relativa entre pessoas e grupos; muito mais em termos de justiça social, quando as pessoas se posicionam à esquerda (versus direita) do espectro político. Discutimos a percepção da desigualdade econômica como fenômeno multidimensional situado na vida cotidiana que influencia na forma de entender e reagir ante as disparidades sociais. ; Colciencias 729 de Colombia ; España (PID2019-105643GB-I00, PCI2020-112285 y B-SEJ-128-UGR18) ; Centro de Estudios de Conflicto y Cohesión Social (COES) (ANID/FONDAP/15130009)

Low-socioeconomic status (SES) groups are sometimes depicted as money wasters who live on welfare. Previous research has also found that low-SES groups are also animalized. We expand previous findings (Sainz et al., 2019) by examining the consequences that animalization has on support for social welfare policies (e.g., unemployment, housing) and governmental control of low-SES groups' spending. We explored the mediating role of perceived wastefulness (i.e., the perception that low-SES people lack the ability to properly administer their budget) in the relationships between animalization and support for welfare policies and governmental control measures. In three correlation studies, 1a to 1c, we examined the relationships between these variables in three countries: The United Kingdom, the United States, and Spain. From our results, animalizing low-SES groups seem to negatively predict support for public policies and positively predict support for governmental control via the perception that low-SES people are unable to manage their finances. Finally, in two experimental studies, 2a and 2b, we directly manipulated the humanness of a low-SES group (animalized vs. humanized) and measured its effects on perceptions of the group's wastefulness, support for social welfare policies, and support for governmental control over the group's expenses. Results indicated that animalizing low-SES groups reduced support for social welfare by activating the impression that low-SES people are poor financial managers (Study 2a), but also that animalizing low-SES groups increased support for governmental control via perceived wastefulness (Studies 2a–b). We discuss the role of animalization in denying aid to those in need. ; "Programa de movilidad para jovenes doctorandos CEI-BIOTIC" (University of Granada CEI-BIOTIC)