Despite the ever-growing economic gap between the very wealthy and the rest of the
population, support for redistributive policies tends to be low. This research tested whether
people's tolerance of inequality differs when it is represented in terms of a successful
individual versus a group of people at the top of the economic ladder. We propose that
drawing people's attention to wealthy individuals undermines support for redistribution by
leading people to believe that the rich person's wealth is well deserved. Across eight studies …

OSF Registries | People are more tolerant of inequality when it is expressed in terms of
individuals rather than groups at the top: The importance of graphical, comparative, and
salient representation …