People from privileged groups may misperceive equality-boosting policies as harmful to them, even if they would actually benefit

Well, often those policies really do hurt people.

For example, I don't think anyone would call Asian Americans living in poverty "privileged". Yet, Asian Americans living in poverty have really high test scores and really high grades. Because they study or do homework on average for 13 hours a week in high school. Whereas, African Americans study or do homework for 2-3 hours a week in high school. So, they have worse test scores and grades.

So, the "equality" policy makes it so Asian Americans living in the same conditions have to score hundreds of SAT points higher, and get higher letter grades just to achieve the same thing as an African American in the same conditions. An African American that studies 3 hours a week/ has a 3.0/ 900 will take an impoverished studying 10 hours a week/ 3.5/ 1200 Asian American's college spot away from him.

If there were infinite college spots, this would not be true. But there aren't infinite college spots.

So, they are being hurt by equity policies.

/r/science Thread Parent Link - newscientist.com