ABSTRACT

As economic inequality continues to rise, there is increased concern about both the consequences of inequality and what can be done to reverse this trend. In the present paper, we review the social psychology of economic inequality and redistribution, focusing on their effects on subjective well-being. We address who is affected by inequality and redistribution, what psychological processes link inequality and redistribution to well-being, and how (incorrect) beliefs about redistribution may underlie opposition. Although redistribution has been shown to promote well-being, which policies are effective in promoting well-being remains unclear. We also highlight current limitations, namely, limited understanding of the underlying psychological mechanisms, overlooking the multidimensionality of redistribution, culture and country-specific effects, and a more intersectional approach to who is affected by inequality. Taken together, initial steps have been taken to understand how policy can be used to promote a happy society, yet many questions remain.

摘要

随着经济不平等的持续加剧，人们越来越关注不平等的后果以及如何扭转这一趋势。在本文中，我们回顾了经济不平等和再分配的社会心理学，重点关注它们对主观幸福感的影响。我们讨论谁受到不平等和再分配的影响，哪些心理过程将不平等和再分配与幸福联系起来，以及关于再分配的（不正确的）信念如何成为反对的基础。尽管重新分配已被证明可以促进福祉，但政策在促进福祉方面是否有效仍不清楚。我们还强调了当前的局限性，即对潜在心理机制的理解有限，忽视了再分配、文化和国家特定影响的多维性，以及对谁受到不平等影响的更交叉的方法。总之，已经采取了初步措施来了解如何利用政策来促进幸福社会，但仍然存在许多问题。