Do Perceptions of Privilege Enhance—or Impede—Perceptions of Intelligence? Evidence from a National Survey Experiment

Abstract

Scholars have long criticized the notion of meritocracy, in part because many achievements that are ostensibly earned stem from the intergenerational transmission of advantage. Although much research has demonstrated this link, fewer studies have considered public attitudes toward these constructs, including whether perceptions of privilege mitigate the symbolic power that educational accomplishments hold. In this article, I use data from an original, nationally representative survey experiment (N=1,800) that focuses on public perceptions of college degree holders. I find that, if anything, college graduates who are perceived as wealthy are perceived as more intelligent than they otherwise would be. Yet I also find evidence that less-privileged respondents are more likely than their more-privileged peers to convey status on those who may have faced obstacles in completing college.

Keywords

• educational inequality
• income and wealth
• social perceptions
• experimental methods
• conjoint experiments