Inequality and Misperceptions of Group Concerns Threaten the Integrity and Societal Impact of Science

• Author: Adam R. Pearson,Peter K. Enns,Ashley Jardina,Jonathon P. Schuldt,Neil A. Lewis
• Published date: 01 March 2022
• Date: 01 March 2022
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/00027162221086883
• Subject Matter: Inequalities

ANNALS, AAPSS, 700, March 2022 195

DOI: 10.1177/00027162221086883

Inequality and

Misperceptions

of Group

Concerns

Threaten the

Integrity and

Societal Impact

of Science

By

JONATHON P. SCHULDT,

ADAM R. PEARSON,

NEIL A. LEWIS, .,

ASHLEY JARDINA,

and

PETER K. ENNS

1086883ANN The Annals of the American AcademyInequality and Misperceptions of Group Concerns

research-article2022

Racial and ethnic minority and lower-income groups are

disproportionately affected by environmental hazards

and suffer worse health outcomes than other groups in

the United States. Relative to whites and higher-income

groups, racial-ethnic minority and lower-income Americans

also frequently express greater concern about high-

profile global environmental threats like climate change,

but they are widely misperceived as being less con-

cerned about these issues than white and higher-income

Americans. We use new survey research to explore

public perceptions of COVID-19—another global

threat marked by substantial racial, ethnic, and class

disparities—finding a distinct pattern of misperceptions

regarding groups’ concerns. We then discuss how these

misperceptions represent a unique form of social misin-

formation that may pose a threat to science and under-

mine the cooperation and trust needed to address

collective problems.

Keywords: inequality; misperceptions; environment;

health; COVID-19; risk perception

The United States faces staggering levels of

social and economic inequality. In 2016, the

net worth of white households was nearly ten

times greater than that of Black and Hispanic

households (McIntosh et al. 2020), reflecting

centuries of racial discrimination. These inequi-

ties fuel disparities in nearly every aspect

of American life, including environmental and

Jonathon P. Schuldt is an associate professor in the

Department of Communication and interim executive

director of the Roper Center for Public Opinion

Research at Cornell University.

Adam R. Pearson is an associate professor in the

Department of Psychology at Pomona College and a

member of the graduate faculty in Social Science,

Policy, & Evaluation at Claremont Graduate University.

Neil A. Lewis, Jr. is an assistant professor in the

Department of Communication at Cornell University

and Division of General Internal Medicine at Weill

Cornell Medical College.

Correspondence: jps56@cornell.edu