Beware of the ‘Bad Guys’: Economic Inequality, Perceived Competition, and Social Vigilance

Abstract

Previous studies have shown that economic inequality is associated with macrosocial outcomes and psychological processes. However, the role of economic inequality in social cognition is poorly understood. In this article, we propose that perceived economic inequality increases social vigilance. Three experiments were conducted to examine this idea by manipulating the perception of economic inequality. The results revealed that participants in high-inequality environments exhibited higher levels of social vigilance than in low-inequality environments. Furthermore, perceived competition could mediate the link between economic inequality and social vigilance (Experiments 2–3). The findings expand the literature regarding the effect of economic inequality on social cognition and help people better understand the consequences of economic inequality.

Keywords

• economic inequality
• social vigilance
• perceived competition
• social cognition