Narratives vs. Numbers: How Success and Failure Stories Shape Support for Mobility Policies

Building on Shanahan & Wilson (2025) and Williams (2023), this idea takes their findings a step further by integrating narrative psychology and experimental political science. Whereas Shanahan & Wilson focus on how attributions differ by political ideology, this project would test how carefully curated narratives—individuals who failed or succeeded despite similar backgrounds—shift public attitudes toward structural reform, not just attributions. By manipulating story content (e.g., highlighting systemic barriers vs. individual perseverance), and comparing these effects across contexts (e.g., US, UK, Global South), the study could reveal the conditions under which empathy and support for anti-inequality policies increase. The novelty lies in directly pitting narrative-driven perception against statistical evidence, which could reshape how policymakers and advocates communicate about inequality and mobility.

References:

1. Narratives of displacement and poverty: the intersections of policy and the shared experience of the everyday. L. Williams (2023). Frontiers in Human Dynamics.
2. Barriers and Bootstraps? The Role of Attributions for Social Mobility Success and Failure in Policy Support and Faith in the American Dream. Erin Shanahan, Anne E. Wilson (2025). Journal of Applied Social Psychology.