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Lower class people suffered more (but perceived fewer risk disadvantages) during the COVID-19 pandemic |
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| Authors: | Yue Zhang Yi Ding Xiaona Xie Yongyu Guo Paul A M van Lange |
| Institution: | 1. School of Psychology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China;2. School of Psychology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
Contribution: Conceptualization, Methodology, Writing - review & editing;3. Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, VU Amsterdam, Institute for Brain and Behavior Amsterdam (IBBA), Amsterdam, The Netherlands Contribution: Conceptualization, Writing - review & editing |
| Abstract: | Does COVID-19 affect people of all classes equally? In the current research, we focus on the social issue of risk inequality during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a nationwide survey conducted in China (N = 1,137), we predicted and found that compared to higher-class individuals, lower-class participants reported a stronger decline in self-rated health as well as economic well-being due to the COVID-19 outbreak. At the same time, we examined participants' beliefs regarding the distribution of risks. The results demonstrated that although lower-class individuals were facing higher risks, they expressed lesser belief in such a risk inequality than their higher-class counterparts. This tendency was partly mediated by their stronger endorsement of system-justifying beliefs. The findings provide novel evidence of the misperception of risk inequality among the disadvantaged in the context of COVID-19. Implications for science and policy are discussed. |
| Keywords: | COVID-19 misperception risk inequality social class system-justifying beliefs |