Lower social class (or socioeconomic status) is associated with fewer resources, greater exposure to threat, and a reduced sense of personal control. Given these life circumstances, one might expect lower individuals engage in less prosocial behavior, prioritizing self-interest over the welfare others. The authors hypothesized, by contrast, that orient others as means adapt their more hostile environments this orientation gives rise behavior. Across 4 studies, proved be generous (Study 1),...

Lower social class is associated with diminished resources and perceived subordinate rank. On the basis of this analysis, authors predicted that would be closely a reduced sense personal control association explain why lower individuals favor contextual over dispositional explanations events. Across 4 studies, individuals, as measured by subjective socioeconomic status (SES), endorsed economic trends, broad outcomes, emotion. mediated relation between SES explanations, was independent...

Recent research suggests that lower-class individuals favor explanations of personal and political outcomes are oriented to features the external environment. We extended this work by testing hypothesis that, as a result, lower social class more empathically accurate in judging emotions other people. In three studies, (compared with upper-class individuals) received higher scores on test empathic accuracy (Study 1), judged an interaction partner accurately 2), made inferences about emotion...

Dozens of studies in different nations have revealed that socioeconomic status only weakly predicts an individual’s subjective well-being (SWB). These results imply although the pursuit social is a fundamental human motivation, achieving high has little impact on one’s SWB. However, we propose sociometric status—the respect and admiration one face-to-face groups (e.g., among friends or coworkers)—has stronger effect SWB than does status. Using correlational, experimental, longitudinal...

Socioeconomic status (SES) is a primary determinant of health vulnerabilities and social affiliations. To ascertain if SES signaled in brief patterns nonverbal behavior, we had participants varying backgrounds engage interaction with stranger. Videos 60-s slices these interactions were coded for cues disengagement engagement, estimates participants' provided by naive observers who viewed videos. As predicted analyses resource dependence power, upper-SES displayed more (e.g., doodling) fewer...

Previous research indicates that lower-class individuals experience elevated negative emotions as compared with their upper-class counterparts. We examine how the environments of can also promote greater compassionate responding-that is, concern for suffering or well-being others. In present research, we investigate class-based differences in dispositional compassion and its activation situations wherein others are suffering. Across studies, relative to counterparts, reported (Study 1), well...

Social class reflects more than the material conditions of people’s lives. Objective resources (e.g., income) shape cultural practices and behaviors that signal social class. These signals create identities among upper- lower-class individuals—identities are rooted in subjective perceptions social-class rank vis-à-vis others. Empirical studies find influence patterns contextual versus dispositional cognition other- self-oriented affect behavior consistent with objective resource-based...

In this research we examine estimates of American social class mobility—the ability to move up or down in education and income status. Across studies, overestimates mobility were large particularly likely among younger participants those higher subjective class—both measured (Studies 1–3) manipulated (Study 4). Class independent general estimation errors 3) persisted after accounting for knowledge assessed terms educational attainment self-ratings. Experiments revealed that shaped by...

Abstract Though the scientific study of social class is over a century old, theories regarding how shapes psychological experience are in their infancy. In this review, we provide road map for empirical an emerging psychology class. Specifically, outline key measurement issues – including importance both objective indicators and subjective perceptions as well theoretical insights into role context influencing behavior. We then summarize why likely to be fruitful area research propose that...

By some accounts, global economic inequality is at its highest point on record. The pernicious effects of this broad societal trend are striking: Rising linked to poorer health and well-being across countries, continents, cultures. psychological forces that perpetuate continue be studied, in theoretical review, we examine the role daily experiences inequality—the communication social class signals between interaction partners—in process. We theorize activate comparison processes strengthen...

Scholars across the social sciences have studied class for centuries. In this review, we suggest that is a fundamental means by which individuals are ranked on ladder of society. A rank-based perspective shines light several future areas research: Specifically, understanding how ranks vis-à-vis others leads to predictions about signaled in interactions, influences cognition and health, shaped global economic inequality trends, changes life course. Importantly, our theory highlights potential...

Significance Race-based economic inequality is both a defining and persistent feature of the United States that at odds with national narratives regarding progress toward racial equality. This work examines perceptions Black–White differences in outcomes, past present. We find Americans, on average, systematically overestimate extent to which society has progressed equality, driven largely by overestimates current Notably, White Americans generated more accurate estimates equality when asked...

Racial economic inequality is a foundational feature of the United States, yet many Americans appear oblivious to it. In present work we consider psychology underlying this collective willful ignorance. Drawing on prior research and new evidence from nationally representative sample adults (N = 1,008), offer compelling that vastly underestimate racial inequality, especially wealth gap. particular, respondents thought Black-White gap was smaller, by around 40 percentage points in 1963 80...

Power increases the tendency to behave in a goal-congruent fashion. Guided by this theoretical notion, we hypothesized that elevated power would strengthen positive association between prosocial orientation and empathic accuracy. In 3 studies with university adult samples, was more strongly associated accuracy when distinct forms of were high than low. Study 1, physiological indicator orientation, respiratory sinus arrhythmia, exhibited stronger face-to-face interaction among dispositionally...

Recent evidence suggests that perceptions of social class rank influence a variety cognitive tendencies, from patterns causal attribution to moral judgment. In the present studies we tested hypotheses upper-class individuals would be more likely endorse essentialist lay theories categories (i.e., is founded in genetically based, biological differences) than lower-class and these beliefs decrease support for restorative justice--which seeks rehabilitate offenders, rather punish unlawful...

Lower-class individuals, because of their lower rank in society, are theorized to be more vigilant social threats relative high-ranking upper-class counterparts. This class-related vigilance threat, the authors predicted, would shape emotional content interactions systematic ways. In Study 1, participants engaged a teasing interaction with close friend. participants--measured terms class society and within friendship--more accurately tracked hostile emotions As result, lower-class...

This research tests the prediction that voice-only communication increases empathic accuracy over across senses. We theorized people often intentionally communicate their feelings and internal states through voice, as such, allows perceivers to focus attention on channel of most active accurate in conveying emotions others. used 5 experiments test this hypothesis (N = 1,772), finding elicits higher rates relative vision-only multisense both while engaging interactions perceiving recorded...

Chaotic conditions are a prevalent and threatening feature of social life. Five studies examined whether class underlies divergent responses to perceptions chaos in one's environments outcomes. The authors hypothesized that when coping with chaos, lower individuals tend prioritize community, relative upper individuals, who instead material wealth. Consistent these predictions, personally confronting were more communally oriented (Study 1), connected their community 2), likely volunteer for...

Social rank in human and non-human animals is signaled by a variety of behaviors phenotypes.In this research, we examined whether sartorial manipulation social class would engender class-consistent behavior physiology during dyadic interactions.Male participants donned clothing that either upper-class (business-suit) or lower-class (sweats) prior to engaging modified negotiation task with another participant unaware the manipulation.Wearing upper-class, compared lower-class, induced...

Associations between social class and prosocial behavior—defined broadly as action intended to help others—may vary a function of contextual factors. Three studies examined how making actions public, versus private, moderates this association. In Study 1, participation in public campaign was higher among upper than lower individuals. Studies 2 3, individuals were more dictator game scenario private whereas showed the reverse pattern. Follow-up analyses revealed importance reputational...