

Rethink... winners and losers
Sep 25, 2025
Dr. Patricia Andrews-Ferron is a social psychologist whose research on implicit game theories sheds light on our zero-sum mindset. In this insightful discussion, she explains how this way of thinking inhibits cooperation and fuels mistrust. Dr. Andrews-Ferron connects zero-sum beliefs to societal issues like political disillusionment and mental health challenges, highlighting how these mindsets create conflict. She also explores generational shifts in zero-sum attitudes, revealing economic conditions that exacerbate these beliefs and the urgent need for fostering mutuality and social cohesion.
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Zero-Sum As A Mental Model
- Zero-sum thinking treats social gains as fixed and frames any group's success as another's loss.
- Economists argue this view ignores ways to 'grow the pie' through cooperation and trade.
Not Just Left Or Right
- Zero-sum beliefs cut across left-right labels and explain variation within parties.
- Highly educated or competitive groups (e.g., PhD students) can show stronger zero-sum views.
Roots In Experience And Mobility
- Personal and family experiences of scarcity and persecution increase zero-sum thinking.
- Upward mobility and immigrant optimism reduce zero-sum beliefs across generations.