Abstract

With the increase of socioeconomic disparity, numerous studies have investigated the psychological consequences of inequality. Existing findings indicate that individuals experiencing inequality may respond proactively by actively addressing inequality, or passively by ignoring or justifying it. These findings suggest that experiencing inequality can lead to both proactive and passive psychological reactions. The present study aimed to examine these two psychological pathways in responses to frequent experiences of inequality. Our study (N = 229) identified the predicted two pathways of inequality. Specifically, the frequency with which one experiences inequality were indirectly associated with: (1) proactive responses to unfairness through greater perceptions of societal inequality, and (2) passive responses through a reduced sense of control. We also found that the indirect effect involving greater perceptions of inequality (but not, the indirect effect via a reduced sense of control) was significant for experiences of inequality through media exposure. These findings highlight the dynamic and multi-dimensional relationship between inequality and psychological responses.