The Role of Social Mobility Experience in Zero-Sum Beliefs

Kelly J. Liu () and Alois Stutzer
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Kelly J. Liu: University of Basel

No 17407, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: In today's world where growth and capital accumulation are the norm, many people still adhere to zero-sum thinking, the belief that gains for one party can only come at the expense of another party. The perception of economic exchange as zero-sum can lead to excessive competition and uncooperative behavior. We investigate social mobility as a driver of zero-sum beliefs by leveraging worldwide survey data and recently published data on intergenerational educational mobility. We find that a higher probability of experienced downward mobility in an individual's cohort and education group is associated with increased zero-sum beliefs. Consistent with gender-specific status concerns, experienced downward mobility only strengthens zero-sum beliefs for men.

Keywords: zero-sum; social mobility; intergenerational mobility; belief formation; gender norms (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D83 Z13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 49 pages
Date: 2024-10
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