Role Of Social Dominance Orientation Research Articles

Academic Motivation of Students Experiencing Person-Environment Misfit in Social Work Educational Settings: The Role of Social Dominance Orientation.

Interweaving social dominance, person-environment fit, and self-determination theories, the present study sought to understand whether the attrition between students' levels of social dominance orientation and the hierarchy-attenuating function of the social work faculty in which they study may influence students' academic motivational pathways. A total of 221 undergraduate social work students participated in the study and completed a self-report questionnaire. Participants' social dominance orientation, person-environment misfit, and academic intrinsic and extrinsic motivation were measured. Results indicated that students' social dominance orientation was associated with an external rather than an internal regulation of their academic motivation, mediated by their perceived person-environment misfit. For those students who personally support group-based inequalities, exposure to hierarchy-attenuating contexts would lead to regulating their academic behavior toward the pursuit of extrinsic (vs. intrinsic) goals, that is, studying to gain financial benefits and social prestige, in accordance with the pursuit of their beliefs of social dominance.

Support for Democratic Policing Among Frontline Police Officers: The Role of Social Dominance Orientation

Abstract Motivated by emerging research that connects officer psychological orientations to policing outcomes, we examine how Social Dominance Orientation (SDO), i.e. preference for group-based social hierarchy, is related to officer attitudes toward democratic policing practices. Analysing survey data collected from officers in a state-level police organization in the United States, we find that high SDO officers are more willing to use force and less willing to report peer misconduct than low SDO officers. High SDO officers are also less supportive of procedurally fair policing practices. These findings contribute to research on factors that may inhibit officer support for democratic policing. We discuss the implications of these results for organizational efforts to inculcate democratic values among frontline officers.

Psychopathic Traits, Externalizing Problems, and Prosocial Behavior: The Role of Social Dominance Orientation.

Psychopathic traits in community and referred youths are strongly associated with severe externalizing problems and low prosocial behavior. However, less is known about the mechanisms that may link youth psychopathy and these outcomes. Social dominance orientation (SDO), defined as the general individual orientation toward unequal and dominant/subordinate relationships, might represent a valuable construct to explore to better understand the association between psychopathic traits, externalizing problems, and prosocial behavior. Based on this, the current study aimed to investigate the relationship between psychopathic traits, SDO, externalizing problems, and prosocial behavior in a community sample (N = 92, 45.57% females, mean age = 12.53, and SD = 0.60) and in a clinical (N = 29, 9% female, mean age = 12.57, and SD = 0.57) samples of adolescents with Oppositional Defiant Disorder or Conduct Disorder. Results showed that SDO mediated the relationship between psychopathic traits and externalizing problems and between psychopathic traits and prosocial behavior only in the clinical sample. These findings can provide valuable information on psychopathic trait correlates in youths with aggressive behavior disorders; treatment implications are discussed.

Prejudice toward Islamic fundamentalists: The role of social domination orientation and interreligious empathy among Christian students in Surabaya

Interreligious conflicts can change the state system regarding religious tolerance and the emergence of terrorist behavior. In Surabaya, terrorism incidents have occurred in three Christian churches, and the alleged perpetrators are the Islamic fundamentalist group JAD. These incidents have fueled feelings of threat and fear of death, which can lead to prejudice. This research aimed to determine the role of social dominance orientation and interreligious empathy as predictors of prejudice toward Islamic fundamentalists. It used a quantitative design with a sample of 400 Christian students aged 17-24 in Surabaya. Furthermore, SDO-7, BES-A, and the Prejudice toward Islamic Fundamentalists Scales were adopted. The results showed that social dominance orientation and interreligious empathy predicted the prejudice toward Islamic fundamentalists (R=0.056; R2=0,061; F(2, 378)=12.876; p<0.001) using multiple linear regression tests. Social dominance orientation did not significantly predict prejudice (t= -0.91426; p=0.361), unlike interreligious empathy (t=4.365; p<0.001). Therefore, intergroup relations need to consider interreligious empathy in reducing prejudice.

White Identity and Climate Change Skepticism: Assessing the Mediating Roles of Social Dominance Orientation and Conspiratorial Ideation

Prior research has found that white people are more likely to be climate change skeptics. In much of this prior work, white identity is treated as a categorical label, limiting the theoretical and empirical understanding of this relationship. Drawing on survey data from a US national sample of 933 white young adults, we theorize that white identity is a developmental process where people explore the meanings of their racial identity and commit to a white identity marked by enhanced levels of social dominance orientation and conspiratorial ideation, two social-psychological constructs consistently associated with climate change skepticism. Using regression analyses, we tested a mediation model that a strong white identity would increase climate change skepticism by enhancing one’s social dominance orientation and conspiratorial ideation. We found partial support for our model. While a strong white identity was positively associated with social dominance orientation and conspiratorial ideation, only social dominance orientation increased climate change skepticism. Conspiratorial ideation reduced climate change skepticism. We discuss the implications of our findings for the climate change literature as well as how our findings can inform policies that could reduce climate change skepticism among white people.

Sustainable purchase intentions: The role of moral norm and social dominance orientation in the theory of planned behavior applied to the case of fair trade products

AbstractThe fair trade business model represents a strategy to achieve some of the sustainable development goals. The studies reported in this paper examined the intention formation process concerning the purchase of food and non‐food fair trade products. The theoretical framework is the theory of planned behavior (TPB), extended with an additional predictor, the moral norm, and an individual difference variable, the social dominance orientation (SDO). SDO is supposed to act as a background factor in the hypothesized TPB model and to be negatively associated with intention to buy fair trade products and its proximal antecedents (attitude, subjective norm, moral norm and perceived behavioral control). Considering the role of SDO within the TPB constitutes a novelty for the literature on socio‐cognitive determinants of purchase intentions. Data were supplied by two convenience samples of Italian adults and analyzed via path analysis. The test of the original TPB provided further evidence for its efficacy. Moral norm showed a significant effect on intentions and its addition to the original TPB model led to an increase in the explained variance in intentions. Overall, SDO proved to be significantly and negatively associated with the intention's antecedents and showed the expected negative indirect effects on intention, mediated by its proximal predictors and moral norm. These findings help to improve the comprehension of the socio‐psychological basis of behavioral intentions to engage in sustainable behaviors.

Veg*ns’ and omnivores’ reciprocal attitudes and dehumanization: The role of social dominance orientation, ingroup identification, and anticipated reproach

Two studies compared omnivores’ and veg*ns’ attitudes and dehumanization tendencies toward each other and identified the social psychological factors explaining them. Study 1 (N = 208, Italians) showed that veg*ns’ hold less positive attitudes toward omnivores than the reverse, and attributed to them less human uniqueness and nature; these differences were explained by veg*ns’ stronger identification with the ingroup and higher perceptions of reproach from the outgroup, even if omnivores’ higher levels of social dominance orientation worsened their attitude toward veg*ns. Study 2 (preregistered, N = 200, mostly from UK) overall replicated Study 1 findings at the explicit level. Interestingly, omnivores’ and veg*ns’ implicit attitudes were equally positive (but less positive than self-reported attitudes) and not predicted by the same mediators associated with the explicit measures. This work suggests that neither veg*ns nor omnivores hold negative attitudes toward each other: they were both positive or neutral toward the outgroup, even if at the explicit level this positivity is greater for omnivores.

Attitudes towards favoring the fall of Tall Poppies: The role of Social Dominance Orientation, Authoritarianism, Political Ideologies, and Self-Esteem

ABSTRACT Individuals occupying high-status positions are sometimes victims of the tall poppy syndrome where people want to see them cut down to size. These attitudes reflect a tension between achievement, authority, and equality. In a pre-registered study (Study 1: N = 47,951), and a replication (Study 2: N = 5,569), of two representative New Zealand samples we investigated how social dominance orientation, right-wing authoritarianism, political ideologies and self-esteem predicted favoring the fall of the tall poppy. Novel findings showed individuals high in social dominance orientation favored the fall of the tall poppy. In both studies, high authoritarian aggression and submission, and low conventionalism (in Study 1 only) were also associated with negative tall poppy attitudes. So too were individuals with lower self-esteem and who were less conservative in their political ideology. These findings advance our understanding of how group-based hierarchy and inequality relate to attitudes toward individuals in high-status positions.

Psychopathy and prejudice: The mediating role of empathy, social dominance orientation and right‐wing authoritarianism

A current shift in intergroup relations research aims to delve deeper into whether, and how, individual differences predict social attitudes. Recent research goes beyond the measurement of typical personality traits and focuses also on the subclinical area of malicious traits. The present studies aimed at exploring the role of one such trait, psychopathy, as a predictor of negative social attitudes. The role of empathy was examined as a key underlying process explaining the relationship between primary and secondary psychopathy and social attitudes. Study 1 (N = 171) and Study 2 (N = 332) demonstrated that when entered as simultaneous predictors of negative attitudes toward immigrants (Study 1) and racism (Study 2), only primary psychopathy emerged as a significant predictor. Study 1 further demonstrated that lower levels of empathy mediated the psychopathy—attitudes path. Study 2 decomposed empathy into cognitive and affective, and tested the explanatory role of social dominance orientation (SDO) and right-wing authoritarianism (RWA). Primary psychopathy predicted lower cognitive and affective empathy, which sequentially predicted racism via SDO (in the case of cognitive empathy) and RWA (in the case of affective empathy). The results are discussed in the context of an integration between the personality and intergroup relations literature.

Social and ecological dominance orientations: Two sides of the same coin? Social and ecological dominance orientations predict decreased support for climate change mitigation policies

In this article, we examine the roles of social dominance orientation (SDO) and ecological dominance orientation (EDO) as predictors of climate change risk and threat perceptions and associated pro-environmental policy support. EDO is a novel measure that we devised based on social dominance theory to assess general preferences for an anthropocentric, hierarchical arrangement between humans, non-human animals, and the natural environment. Across two pre-registered studies ( N = 715; USA and Germany) our results indicate that SDO and EDO are uniquely associated with decreased support for climate change mitigation policies benefitting humans, non-human animals, and the natural environment. These relationships in turn are partially mediated by decreased climate change risk and threat perceptions. We successfully replicate our findings using a more behavioral measure as dependent variable. Notably, using a more behavioral measure (Study 2), EDO was significantly associated with pro-environmental behavior but not SDO, when threats are accounted for as mediators.

Greater death anxiety, greater dishonesty for self-benefit: The moderating role of social dominance orientation

Dishonesty evolved under natural selection among species. Whether or not individuals become dishonest for self-benefit when they experience distress by thinking about their own death is crucial and unclear. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between death anxiety (i.e., individuals’ anxiety about their own death) and individuals’ tendencies to be dishonest, and whether individuals’ social dominance orientation (SDO) moderated the relationship between death anxiety and tendency for self-benefit dishonesty behaviors. Using two large-scale samples (Studies 1 and 3) and one undergraduate sample (Study 2), three studies (N = 3511) were conducted; all studies supported our hypothesis that death anxiety was positively associated with self-benefit dishonesty. Additionally, results showed that the relationship between death anxiety and tendency to be dishonest only occurred when individuals had a high SDO. These findings inform research on death anxiety by revealing its evolutionary functions regarding the promotion of resource-seeking behaviors (e.g., self-benefit dishonesty).

Social class, social self-esteem, and conspicuous consumption

Previous research has suggested the negative relationship between self-esteem and conspicuous consumption since conspicuous consumption is aimed to gain social recognition and signal status. However, it has not been much explored how this relationship holds depending on social classes. We propose subjective social class will moderate the relationship between social self-esteem and conspicuous consumption. We also hypothesize the mediating roles of social dominance orientation and life satisfaction in the proposed moderation effect. By conducting the survey with the American sample, we tested these predictions. In Study 1, we showed that the negative relationship between social self-esteem and conspicuous consumption appeared only among high subjective social class individuals. In Study 2, we replicated Study 1 and further demonstrated that social dominance orientation and life satisfaction respectively mediated the interactive effect of subjective social class and social self-esteem on conspicuous consumption. The results suggest that among individuals who perceive themselves to be in a high social class, a low level of social self-esteem is conducive to conspicuous consumption. The theoretical implications and limitations of the present investigation are discussed.

Antimuslimische Einstellungen in der Polizei?

ZusammenfassungAntimuslimische Einstellungen, die in Zusammenhang mit diskriminierenden und gruppenbezogenen menschenfeindlichen Übergriffen gebracht werden, sind besonders verheerend für die Polizei. Immer wieder gerät die Polizei in den Verdacht, auf dem »rechten« Auge blind zu sein. In diesem Beitrag werden Ergebnisse einer Befragung an Kommissaranwärterinnen und -anwärtern (N = 364) vorgestellt, die 2016 und 2017 an der Hochschule der Akademie der Polizei Hamburg durchgeführt wurde. Die Studie berichtet Befunde zu selbstberichteter Kontakthäufigkeit und -qualität mit als muslimisch wahrgenommenen Menschen im privaten und beruflichen Bereich und deren Zusammenhänge mit Vorurteilen und Stereotypen gegenüber Muslimen. Insgesamt berichten die Befragten negative Stereotype gegenüber als muslimisch wahrgenommenen Männern sowie Dehumanisierungstendenzen gegenüber Muslimen. Jedoch weisen sie nicht substanziell negativere Vorurteile gegenüber Muslimen auf als die Allgemeinbevölkerung. Während selbstberichtete berufliche Kontakte mit als muslimisch wahrgenommenen Menschen mit stärkeren selbstberichteten Vorurteilen und negativeren Stereotypen in Zusammenhang stehen, stehen selbstberichtete positive und private Kontakte mit geringeren Vorurteilen und weniger negativen Stereotypen in Zusammenhang. Interaktionen zwischen selbstberichteten privaten und beruflichen Kontakten werden ebenso wie die Rolle der Sozialen Dominanzorientierung untersucht und praktische Implikationen der Erkenntnisse diskutiert.

Hostile and benevolent sexism: The differential roles of human supremacy beliefs, women’s connection to nature, and the dehumanization of women

Scholars have long argued that sexism is partly rooted in dominance motives over animals and nature, with women being perceived as more animal-like and more closely connected to nature than men. Yet systematic research investigating these associations is currently lacking. Five studies ( N = 2,409) consistently show that stronger beliefs in human supremacy over animals and nature were related to heightened hostile and benevolent sexism. Furthermore, perceiving women as more closely connected to nature than men was particularly associated with higher benevolent sexism, whereas subtle dehumanization of women was uniquely associated with higher hostile sexism. Blatant dehumanization predicted both types of sexism. Studies 3 and 4 highlight the roles of social dominance orientation and benevolent beliefs about nature underpinning these associations, while Study 5 demonstrates the implications for individuals’ acceptance of rape myths and policies restricting pregnant women’s freedom. Taken together, our findings reveal the psychological connections between gender relations and human–animal relations.

Group dominance in hierarchy-attenuating and hierarchy-enhancing organizations: The role of social dominance orientation, need for cognitive closure, and power tactics in a person–environment (mis)fit perspective.

Group dominance in hierarchy-attenuating and hierarchy-enhancing organizations: The role of social dominance orientation, need for cognitive closure, and power tactics in a person–environment (mis)fit perspective.

Positive and negative intergroup contact and willingness to engage in intergroup interactions among majority (Han) and minority (Uyghur) group members in China: The moderating role of social dominance orientation

The present study investigated whether the associations of positive and negative intergroup contact with behavioral intentions (intentions to have contact with the outgroup in the future) are moderated by social dominance orientation (SDO), by considering the perspective of both majority and minority group members in China. Participants were 325 Han (majority) and 373 Uyghur (minority) members, who completed a self-report questionnaire. Results indicated that positive contact was associated with more positive behavioral intentions among high-SDO majority group members, whereas SDO did not moderate the association between positive contact and behavioral intentions among minority group members. In addition, negative contact was associated with lower behavioral intentions among high-SDO majority group members, and among low-SDO minority group members. This study suggests that attention should be placed simultaneously on positive and negative contact and on individual difference variables relevant to social ideologies, such as SDO.

Prejudice and Inclusiveness in Adolescence: The Role of Social Dominance Orientation and Multiple Categorization.

This study examined the relations of multiple categorization and social dominance orientation with adolescents' prejudice against migrants and identification with the human group over time. Participants were 304 Northern-Italian late adolescents (61.84% female, Mage =17.49) involved in a three-wave longitudinal study (with 3months interval between waves). Results showed that multiple categorization was negatively linked to prejudice at a later time, whereas social dominance orientation was positively associated with it; prejudice also negatively affected multiple categorization and positively affected social dominance orientation at a later time. Moreover, prejudice mediated the effects of multiple categorization and social dominance orientation on human identification. These findings have important implications suggesting the construens effect of multiple categorization for enhancing social inclusiveness.

The effect of intergroup contact on solidarity‐based collective action is mediated by reductions in SDO

AbstractThis paper explores the impact of positive and negative intergroup contact on advantaged group members’ willingness to engage in collective action on behalf of disadvantaged outgroups, and the mediational role of social dominance orientation (SDO) in this process. SDO captures an individual’s ideological support for inequality. If contact is going to promote collective action to reduce inequality among the advantaged group, it must be expected to influence their ideological beliefs about hierarchy. In Study 1, only positive, and not negative contact was found to be associated with Whites’ support for the Black Lives Matter movement, mediated by reductions in SDO. In Study 2, both positive and negative contact were associated, respectively, with more or less support for collective action to protect the rights of European immigrants during Brexit negotiations. While positive contact was associated with reduced SDO and more support for collective action among British nationals, negative contact was associated with increased SDO and lower support for collective action.

Social dominance orientation, fear of terrorism and support for counter-terrorism policies

ABSTRACTFollowing September 11 and the subsequent heightened fear of terrorism from more recent events, this study examines the role of Social Dominance Orientation (SDO) in explaining individuals’ support for counter-terrorism policies that infringe individual liberties in pursuit of defending community security. Three hypotheses are proposed: (1) that SDO positively predicts support for ‘defensive’ counter-terrorism policies such as the maintenance of strong border protection; (2) that SDO positively predicts fear of terrorism and fear of Islamic extremism; (3) that the relationship between SDO and support for defensive policies is mediated by fear. The hypotheses are tested on a sample of 1200 Australian adults, with support found for each hypothesis. Counter-terrorism policies commonly encounter trade-offs between community-wide security and individual-level liberties; pursuit of optimal security tends to require infringement of those liberties. This research demonstrates that high SDO citizens will support such policies, particularly as fear increases.

Relation Between Awe and Environmentalism: The Role of Social Dominance Orientation.

The present study attempts to explore the effect of awe on environmentalism and the mediating role of social dominance orientation in generating this effect. In Study 1, a series of questionnaires were used to investigate the correlation among trait awe, social dominance orientation, and ecological behavior. Results demonstrated that, while trait awe was positively correlated with ecological behavior, it was partially mediated by social dominance orientation. In follow-up studies, two priming experiments were conducted to test the causal relationship and the psychological mechanisms between awe and environmentalism. Results revealed that inductions of awe (relative to various control states) decreased participants’ social dominance orientation, which in turn partially enhanced their willingness to make personal sacrifices for the environment (Study 2), and intentions to engage in pro-environmental behavior (Study 3). This study not only corroborates the critical role of awe in promoting environmentalism, but also highlights the importance of social dominance orientation in explaining why awe increases environmentalism. Implications and future directions were also discussed.