9  Economic/Commercial Beliefs

This chapter explores your beliefs about wealth distribution, zero-sum thinking, and beliefs about commercial determinants of health. These constructs are critical for health communication because they shape how people understand systemic causes of health inequities, whether they view social progress as a competition, and how they perceive corporate influence on public health.

ImportantPH 322 — Week 10: Material Design & Health Policy

This week examines commercial determinants of health, corporate influence on health information, and how to design health messages that counter misinformation from corporate and political actors. Your scores reveal how you think about wealth, fairness, and institutional power.

9.1 Perceived vs. Desired Wealth Distribution

Constructs

These items (adapted from Norton & Ariely, 2011) measure perceptions and preferences about how wealth is distributed in the United States. Perceived wealth distribution captures what you think the current distribution is, while desired wealth distribution captures what you believe would be fair. Comparing these to the actual distribution reveals how well-calibrated people’s perceptions are and how much redistribution they prefer.

Measures

Each distribution allocates 100% of total wealth across five quintiles (Top 20% through Bottom 20%). Participants estimated both their perceived and desired distributions. The chart below compares three distributions: Perceived (participant estimates), Desired (participant ideals), and Actual (Federal Reserve data).

Your Scores

Perceived Wealth Distribution (% of total wealth)
Password Top 20% 2nd 3rd 4th Bottom 20%
$iorrZZ2425! 50.0 20 15.0 10.0 5.0
'@Auliebear224757328el 2.0 10 38.0 30.0 20.0
5121lyster 60.0 15 10.0 10.0 5.0
78fArO50r 60.0 20 10.0 8.0 2.0
Arlingtonfootball(333) 50.0 20 15.0 10.0 5.0
Benny2013 95.0 2 1.2 1.0 0.8
Binghamton1234 5.0 30 30.0 20.0 15.0
Birth2005 35.0 30 20.0 10.0 5.0
Biscuit1227 75.0 11 8.0 5.0 1.0
Bxqc3216 80.0 12 6.0 1.5 0.5
Damilola1976 40.0 20 20.0 10.0 10.0
December1912 60.0 15 5.0 10.0 10.0
Eski3754 1.0 10 19.0 20.0 50.0
Funkita732 20.0 20 20.0 20.0 20.0
Goodwin7292()! 1.0 9 10.0 30.0 50.0
Health$402 85.0 5 5.0 4.0 1.0
Health1203 5.0 15 33.0 27.0 20.0
Littlekitty1019 10.0 20 40.0 20.0 10.0
LongSurvey1234 2.0 15 25.0 30.0 28.0
Power2 75.0 10 6.0 3.0 1.0
Rcool1229 76.0 9 7.0 5.0 3.0
Strawberryhamburger3 80.0 5 5.0 5.0 5.0
Tinawatsonqwe1 0.0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0
VT1107lyn!Bing 3.0 12 25.0 30.0 30.0
biotinISneeded2313! 5.0 10 20.0 40.0 25.0
brita6767 5.0 15 30.0 30.0 20.0
earth5567 5.0 10 30.0 40.0 15.0
ha1rcut 70.0 20 7.0 2.0 1.0
health0925 5.0 10 25.0 40.0 20.0
health1244 10.0 40 20.0 10.0 20.0
health1248 5.0 10 20.0 20.0 45.0
health4103 50.0 20 20.0 5.0 5.0
jelly1909 84.0 10 4.0 2.0 0.0
kyunkyun3890 0.1 5 24.0 50.0 20.9
schre0000 90.0 6 3.0 0.9 0.1
surv1901 1.0 10 10.0 15.0 64.0
vidyaravi1 0.0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0
water6331 50.0 20 15.0 10.0 5.0
water9813 2.0 4 19.0 25.0 50.0
witch2026 60.0 17 10.0 8.0 5.0
Desired Wealth Distribution (% of total wealth)
Password Top 20% 2nd 3rd 4th Bottom 20%
$iorrZZ2425! 25 20 20 20 15
'@Auliebear224757328el 80 20 0 0 0
5121lyster 25 20 20 20 15
78fArO50r 30 25 20 15 10
Arlingtonfootball(333) 20 20 20 20 20
Benny2013 30 25 20 15 10
Binghamton1234 20 20 20 20 20
Birth2005 20 20 20 20 20
Biscuit1227 35 25 15 13 12
Bxqc3216 20 20 20 20 20
Damilola1976 0 0 0 0 0
December1912 30 25 20 15 10
Eski3754 30 25 20 20 5
Funkita732 20 20 20 20 20
Goodwin7292()! 20 20 20 20 20
Health$402 2 32 32 32 2
Health1203 2 11 47 33 7
Littlekitty1019 3 9 20 30 38
LongSurvey1234 1 1 96 1 1
Power2 5 10 15 20 50
Rcool1229 20 20 20 20 20
Strawberryhamburger3 5 10 20 30 35
Tinawatsonqwe1 0 0 0 0 0
VT1107lyn!Bing 10 35 35 20 0
biotinISneeded2313! 20 20 20 20 20
brita6767 33 33 34 NA 0
earth5567 20 20 20 20 20
ha1rcut 20 20 20 20 20
health0925 20 20 20 20 20
health1244 20 20 20 20 20
health1248 30 25 20 15 10
health4103 20 20 20 20 20
jelly1909 25 25 20 15 15
kyunkyun3890 1 15 68 15 1
schre0000 40 25 15 11 9
surv1901 20 20 20 20 20
vidyaravi1 0 0 0 0 0
water6331 20 20 20 20 20
water9813 20 20 20 20 20
witch2026 20 20 20 20 20

Class Distribution

Wealth Distribution: Average perceived vs. desired distribution compared to actual U.S. wealth distribution.

9.2 Zero-Sum Beliefs

Constructs

The Zero-Sum Beliefs Scale (OPINIONBELIEFS) measures the extent to which you believe that gains for one group necessarily come at the expense of another group:

  • Economic Zero-Sum: Belief that economic gains are always at someone else’s loss
  • Social Identity Zero-Sum: Belief that progress for marginalized groups comes at the expense of dominant groups (e.g., less sexism for women means more sexism for men)

Measures

The scale contains 11 items (3 economic, 8 social identity) rated on a 7-point scale: 1 = Strongly Disbelieve, 2 = Somewhat Disbelieve, 3 = Disbelieve, 4 = Neither Disbelieve nor Believe, 5 = Believe, 6 = Somewhat Believe, 7 = Strongly Believe. Higher scores indicate stronger zero-sum thinking.

Example items:

  • Economic: “Life is so devised that when somebody gains, others have to lose.”
  • Social Identity: “As women face less sexism, men end up facing more sexism.”

Your Scores

Zero-Sum Beliefs: Your Composite Scores
Password Economic Percentile Social Identity Percentile
$iorrZZ2425! 5.33 84% (high) 1.62 30% (low)
'@Auliebear224757328el 4.67 41% (mid) 3.12 81% (high)
5121lyster 4.33 27% (low) 2.75 59% (mid)
78fArO50r 2.33 0% (low) 1.88 46% (mid)
Arlingtonfootball(333) 5.00 57% (mid) 2.75 59% (mid)
Benny2013 4.33 27% (low) 3.00 68% (high)
Binghamton1234 5.67 92% (high) 1.25 19% (low)
Birth2005 5.67 92% (high) 3.00 68% (high)
Biscuit1227 5.00 57% (mid) 3.50 86% (high)
Bxqc3216 5.00 57% (mid) 2.75 59% (mid)
Damilola1976 3.00 3% (low) 3.00 68% (high)
December1912 5.00 57% (mid) 2.12 57% (mid)
Eski3754 5.67 92% (high) 1.88 46% (mid)
Funkita732 3.33 5% (low) 1.12 11% (low)
Goodwin7292()! 5.00 57% (mid) 3.75 89% (high)
Health$402 4.67 41% (mid) 4.25 97% (high)
Health1203 4.33 27% (low) 1.62 30% (low)
Littlekitty1019 4.67 41% (mid) 1.62 30% (low)
LongSurvey1234 5.00 57% (mid) 1.50 24% (low)
Power2 4.00 19% (low) 1.12 11% (low)
Rcool1229 5.00 57% (mid) 1.00 0% (low)
Strawberryhamburger3 3.67 11% (low) 1.38 22% (low)
Tinawatsonqwe1 NaN NA% (high) NaN NA% (high)
VT1107lyn!Bing 4.67 41% (mid) 1.75 38% (mid)
biotinISneeded2313! 5.33 84% (high) 1.50 24% (low)
brita6767 3.33 5% (low) 3.38 84% (high)
earth5567 5.00 57% (mid) 2.00 51% (mid)
ha1rcut 4.00 19% (low) 1.75 38% (mid)
health0925 4.67 41% (mid) 3.75 89% (high)
health1244 4.67 41% (mid) 1.12 11% (low)
health1248 5.00 57% (mid) 3.00 68% (high)
health4103 3.67 11% (low) 4.00 95% (high)
jelly1909 5.00 57% (mid) 4.25 97% (high)
kyunkyun3890 6.00 100% (high) 1.00 0% (low)
schre0000 4.00 19% (low) 2.00 51% (mid)
surv1901 4.33 27% (low) 3.00 68% (high)
vidyaravi1 NaN NA% (high) NaN NA% (high)
water6331 5.33 84% (high) 1.00 0% (low)
water9813 4.33 27% (low) 1.00 0% (low)
witch2026 3.67 11% (low) 1.75 38% (mid)

Class Distribution

Zero-Sum Beliefs: Economic vs. Social Identity dimensions. Dashed lines indicate 33rd and 67th percentiles.

9.3 Commercial Determinants of Health (CDOH) Beliefs

Constructs

The CDOH Beliefs Scale measures beliefs about how three industries negatively influence public health through political lobbying, research distortion, marketing practices, distribution inequities, labor practices, pricing, and community power:

  • Firearms Industry: Beliefs about gun industry influence on legislation, research, marketing, distribution, labor, pricing, and community health
  • Food Industry: Beliefs about food industry influence on nutrition policy, research, marketing, food access, labor, pricing, and local food systems
  • Healthcare Industry: Beliefs about healthcare/pharmaceutical industry influence on mental health policy, research, marketing, distribution, labor, pricing, and access

Measures

The scale contains 21 items (7 per industry) rated on a 6-point scale: 1 = Strongly Disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Slightly Disagree, 4 = Slightly Agree, 5 = Agree, 6 = Strongly Agree. Higher scores indicate stronger belief in corporate influence on health.

Example items:

  • Firearms: “The firearm industry’s lobbying prevents passage of evidence-based gun safety legislation”
  • Food: “Food industry political influence blocks regulations that could improve food security”
  • Healthcare: “Healthcare companies’ political power restricts access to mental health services”

Your Scores

CDOH Beliefs: Firearms, Food & Healthcare Industry Composite Scores
Password Firearms Fire(%) Food Food(%) Healthcare HC(%)
$iorrZZ2425! 5.71 86% (high) 5.43 76% (high) 5.43 76% (high)
'@Auliebear224757328el 4.43 35% (mid) 4.29 19% (low) 4.14 14% (low)
5121lyster 4.14 27% (low) 4.14 11% (low) 4.86 43% (mid)
78fArO50r 4.14 27% (low) 5.00 43% (mid) 4.14 14% (low)
Arlingtonfootball(333) 5.00 59% (mid) 5.43 76% (high) 4.86 43% (mid)
Benny2013 3.57 8% (low) 5.14 65% (mid) 5.00 54% (mid)
Binghamton1234 6.00 100% (high) 5.71 84% (high) 5.57 84% (high)
Birth2005 5.00 59% (mid) 5.00 43% (mid) 5.00 54% (mid)
Biscuit1227 3.71 14% (low) 4.29 19% (low) 4.57 24% (low)
Bxqc3216 5.29 76% (high) 5.29 70% (high) 5.43 76% (high)
Damilola1976 5.57 84% (high) 5.86 86% (high) 5.86 89% (high)
December1912 4.00 22% (low) 4.00 5% (low) 4.00 11% (low)
Eski3754 5.86 89% (high) 5.86 86% (high) 5.71 86% (high)
Funkita732 5.00 59% (mid) 5.00 43% (mid) 5.00 54% (mid)
Goodwin7292()! 4.43 35% (mid) 4.43 27% (low) 4.71 32% (low)
Health$402 2.86 0% (low) 4.71 35% (mid) 4.71 32% (low)
Health1203 4.57 46% (mid) 4.43 27% (low) 5.86 89% (high)
Littlekitty1019 4.86 54% (mid) 5.00 43% (mid) 4.71 32% (low)
LongSurvey1234 4.86 54% (mid) 5.57 81% (high) 5.29 70% (high)
Power2 3.43 5% (low) 4.00 5% (low) 4.57 24% (low)
Rcool1229 5.86 89% (high) 5.86 86% (high) 4.86 43% (mid)
Strawberryhamburger3 4.43 35% (mid) 5.29 70% (high) 5.43 76% (high)
Tinawatsonqwe1 NaN NA% (high) NaN NA% (high) NaN NA% (high)
VT1107lyn!Bing 4.71 49% (mid) 4.86 41% (mid) 4.86 43% (mid)
biotinISneeded2313! 5.29 76% (high) 5.00 43% (mid) 5.29 70% (high)
brita6767 3.57 8% (low) 3.71 0% (low) 3.71 0% (low)
earth5567 5.14 73% (high) 4.71 35% (mid) 5.00 54% (mid)
ha1rcut 4.00 22% (low) 4.43 27% (low) 4.14 14% (low)
health0925 3.86 16% (low) 4.14 11% (low) 3.86 3% (low)
health1244 NaN NA% (high) NaN NA% (high) NaN NA% (high)
health1248 3.29 3% (low) 4.29 19% (low) 3.86 3% (low)
health4103 3.86 16% (low) 3.71 0% (low) 3.86 3% (low)
jelly1909 4.43 35% (mid) 4.14 11% (low) 4.14 14% (low)
kyunkyun3890 5.43 81% (high) 6.00 95% (high) 6.00 95% (high)
schre0000 4.14 27% (low) 5.14 65% (mid) 4.57 24% (low)
surv1901 5.00 59% (mid) 5.00 43% (mid) 5.00 54% (mid)
vidyaravi1 5.00 59% (mid) 5.00 43% (mid) 4.71 32% (low)
water6331 5.86 89% (high) 6.00 95% (high) 6.00 95% (high)
water9813 5.86 89% (high) 6.00 95% (high) 6.00 95% (high)
witch2026 4.71 49% (mid) 5.00 43% (mid) 5.14 68% (high)

Class Distribution

CDOH Beliefs: Beliefs about corporate influence on health across three industries. Dashed lines indicate 33rd and 67th percentiles.

References

Norton, M. I., & Ariely, D. (2011). Building a better America — one wealth quintile at a time. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 6(1), 9–12. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797611398494