People think that individuals in poverty are less harmed by the everyday effects of COVID-19.

What is it about?

This paper demonstrates that people hold biased beliefs about the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on people in poverty. People think that low-income individuals are less harmed by everyday consequences of the pandemic, such as having to be apart from loved ones or having to stay at home for long periods of time. In reality, research shows that people in poverty were more negatively affected by the pandemic. Yet, people believe the opposite, and also believe that individuals in poverty need less social support during the pandemic as a result of being less harmed.

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Photo by Heike Trautmann on Unsplash

Photo by Heike Trautmann on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This work shows that people hold a harmful belief about the effects of the pandemic for individuals in poverty. People believe that low-income individuals--who are most harmed by the pandemic and who are most in need of more resources--are less harmed and less in need of support. This bias has profound implications for the neglect and mistreatment of the most disadvantaged during an unprecedented global crisis. Preliminary investigation also suggests, however, that providing information that directly counters this bias might be one pathway to reducing the bias and increasing equity and justice during this crisis and beyond.

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