Experimental Evidence That Low Social Status Is Most Toxic to Well-Being When Internalized

Bibliographic Data

ID15411591
AuthorsBenita Jackson (0000-0001-6313-0812, Smith College, corresponding author), Laura Smart Richman (0000-0002-1381-851X, Duke University), Onawa LaBelle (0000-0002-3542-5557, University of Michigan), Madeleine S Lempereur, J M Twenge (0000-0002-6542-8281, San Diego State University)
Year2014
Volume14
Issue2
Pages157-172
Publication date2014-10-10
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueSelf and Identity (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1529-8868 • E-ISSN: 1529-8876
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/15298868.2014.965732
PMID25620889
PMCIDPMC4299939
OpenAlexW2141797495
LanguageEN
Citations received6
References cited53

What makes low social status toxic to well-being? To internalize social status is to believe the self is responsible for it. We hypothesized that the more people internalize low subjective social status, the more their basic psychological needs are thwarted. Experiment 1 randomly assigned participants to imagine themselves in low, middle, or high social status and assessed their subjective social status internalization by independent ratings. The more participants internalized low status, the more they reported their basic psychological needs were thwarted. This effect did not appear among their higher status counterparts. Experiment 2 replicated and extended these findings using a behavioral manipulation of subjective social status and a self-report measure of internalization. We discuss implications for basic and action research

Action (physics · Developmental psychology · Internalization · Social status · Sociology · Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion · Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction · Psychology · Social and Intergroup Psychology · Social Psychology