Inequality perceptions, circumstances, and information

This project studies the role of personal circumstances and exposure to or information about inequality in shaping (mis)perceptions and normative views promises insights into the mechanisms of how (mis)perceptions and ill-informed anti-egalitarian attitudes come about – and how they can be corrected.

The Perceptions of Inequality research programme submitted a successful proposal for the German Socio-Economic Panel’s Innovative Modules (SOEP-IS) competition. A survey experiment on the impact of visual exposure and textual information treatments on perceptions of inequality and fairness views will be fielded as part of the 2026 SOEP wave. The data will be made available for other researchers to use.

Updates and further information are available via the SOEP-IS website.

Professor Joan Costa-Font, Professor of Health Economics, Department of Health Policy, LSE
Professor Frank Cowell, Professor of Economics, Department of Economics, LSE
Jakob Dirksen, Analysing and Challenging Inequalities Scholar, International Inequalities Institute, Department of Social Policy and CASE/STICERD, LSE & Research and Policy Officer, Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative, Department of International Development, University of Oxford

Inequality perceptions, circumstances, and information

Team