Economic Inequality Shapes Judgments of Consumption

Economic inequality affects not only individuals' judgments and behavior in their own lives, but also those individuals' judgements and behavior toward others-both people and firms. First, the consumption decisions of others are often evaluated through a moral lens, such that lower-income consumers are held to more negative, restrictive standards of what is acceptable to purchase. Second, firms that perpetuate inequality among their employees or their customers-through unequal pay or unequal services-are viewed negatively. We discuss the implications of economic inequality shaping people's moral scrutiny of others.