Dominance versus cooperativeness: Status construal as a determinant of status acquisition strategy

Researchers have long studied the behaviors and characteristics that lead to social status in groups, but very little is known about the factors that influence group members’ strategies for gaining status in the eyes of others. In the present research, we examine the idea that status construal (i.e., how people view and define social status) influences how people go about attempting to gain status. Three experimental studies tested the hypotheses that (a) when individuals view status as a scarce, zero-sum resource, they pursue status by expressing dominance, and (b) when individuals view status as an abundant resource, something that multiple group members can share at the same time, they pursue status by being helpful and cooperative. The results supported our predictions: Across the three studies, measures of status construal (Study 1) and manipulations of status construal (Studies 2 and 3) influenced people’s strategies for pursuing status. Implications for research on status in groups and organizations are discussed.