Lower class people suffered more (but perceived fewer risk disadvantages) during the COVID-19 pandemic

Yue Zhang; Yi Ding; Xiaona Xie; Yongyu Guo; Paul A.M. van Lange

doi:10.1111/ajsp.12543

Lower class people suffered more (but perceived fewer risk disadvantages) during the COVID-19 pandemic

Yue Zhang
, Yi Ding
, Xiaona Xie
, Yongyu Guo^*
, Paul A.M. van Lange

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

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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.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	39-51
Number of pages	13
Journal	Asian Journal of Social Psychology
Volume	26
Issue number	1
Early online date	3 Jun 2022
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/ajsp.12543
Publication status	Published - Mar 2023

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This research was supported by Grant 71971120 from the National Natural Science Foundation of China and Grant 20AZD084 from the National Social Science Foundation of China.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Asian Association of Social Psychology and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Funding

This research was supported by Grant 71971120 from the National Natural Science Foundation of China and Grant 20AZD084 from the National Social Science Foundation of China.

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

Keywords

COVID-19
misperception
risk inequality
social class
system-justifying beliefs

Access to Document

10.1111/ajsp.12543

Asian J of Social Psycho - 2022 - Zhang - Lower class people suffered more but perceived fewer risk disadvantages duringFinal published version, 265 KBLicence: Article 25fa Dutch Copyright Act

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Cite this

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title = "Lower class people suffered more (but perceived fewer risk disadvantages) during the COVID-19 pandemic",

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",

author = "Yue Zhang and Yi Ding and Xiaona Xie and Yongyu Guo and \{van Lange\}, \{Paul A.M.\}",

note = "Funding Information: This research was supported by Grant 71971120 from the National Natural Science Foundation of China and Grant 20AZD084 from the National Social Science Foundation of China. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 Asian Association of Social Psychology and John Wiley \& Sons Australia, Ltd.",

year = "2023",

month = mar,

doi = "10.1111/ajsp.12543",

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AU - Zhang, Yue

AU - Ding, Yi

AU - Xie, Xiaona

AU - Guo, Yongyu

AU - van Lange, Paul A.M.

N1 - Funding Information: This research was supported by Grant 71971120 from the National Natural Science Foundation of China and Grant 20AZD084 from the National Social Science Foundation of China. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 Asian Association of Social Psychology and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

PY - 2023/3

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N2 - 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.

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Lower class people suffered more (but perceived fewer risk disadvantages) during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

UN SDGs

Keywords

Access to Document

Persistent URL (handle)

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Cite this