Impartial Spectator Models and Hypothetical Vignettes

"The chief impartial observer models known to economists are two that Harsanyi
proposed .... In the one model (1978), Harsanyi proposes that individuals have internalized moral preferences, which they might express as third parties (indeed, he suggests they might
even express these as stakeholders trying to remain impartial). Nevertheless, Harsanyi
allows that these moral preferences could differ across individuals. In the other model
(1953, 1955), he proposes that the impartial observer engages in a thought experiment.
The observer considers the objective and subjective circumstances of every person and
imagines himself having an equal probability of being each of those persons, ignoring his
own actual station....

This study employs a simple method with the aim of expanding our understanding
of two fundamental topics: unbiased justice preferences in real world contexts and the
nature of impartiality itself. The method of investigation is the one used in most studies
of empirical social choice, viz., attitude surveys consisting of vignettes (i.e., hypothetical
scenarios) that elicit preferences over the distribution of benefits or burdens....

The current study is in this vein, and the eight distinct vignettes in the survey prompt more complex distributive preferences that correspond to unequal allocations. They describe a wide
variety of real world ethical concerns, including environmental protection, fair wages,
welfare, job security, tort law, bioethics, globalization and media ethics".

Is Fairness In The Eye of the Beholder?