Status-seeking Behavior Research Articles

Behavioural Endocrinology in the Social Sciences

Hormones are the endocrine system’s messengers and an important coordinating mechanism of the body’s growth, development, and functioning, with often simultaneous effects throughout the body and brain. Echoing calls for more interdisciplinary research bridging the gap between endocrinology and social sciences, we review evidence for hormones influencing human psychology (behaviour, cognition, and sociality), with a focus on health, sexuality, and further outcomes. We focus on four steroid hormones: testosterone (T), cortisol (C), estrogen (E), and progesterone (P). Embedded into life history theory as a prominent evolutionary framework, effects of T are conceptualised as modulating trade-offs between mating and parenting effort, especially when exposed to potential mates, interacting with offspring, and during competition. The challenge hypothesis suggests acute increases in T when facing challenges, with high T being linked to more competitive behaviour. The dual-hormone hypothesis postulates that C, as a measure of stress, inhibits the effects of T on status-seeking behaviour. The allostatic load framework suggests that chronic stress as indicated by high C levels could have detrimental health consequences. Various measurements of C are negatively related to socioeconomic status. The female steroid hormones E and P coordinate female reproduction by regulating the development and function of the uterus. They affect women’s sexual desire as well as self-perceived attractiveness and are influenced by endogenous (e.g. pregnancy) as well as exogenous (e.g. hormonal contraceptives) factors. We address misinterpretations of biological determinism, highlight potential challenges in measuring hormones, and discuss ways in which social scientists can continue to incorporate hormones into their research.

Visible Consumption, Income Inequality and Social Comparisons. Evidence from Four Latin American Countries

Increased conspicuous consumption motivated by status-seeking behavior can undermine the gains in well-being derived from economic growth. Using expenditure surveys from Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Uruguay, we assess visible consumption motivated by status seeking behaviour, analyzing different hypotheses about the role of externalities driven by social comparisons and income inequality. Specifically, we provide evidence for the relevance of different reference groups, assessing comparisons with richer (Veblen effects), poorer and similar profile groups (Duesenberry effects). We show that individuals are affected by multiple reference groups. Regarding between-group inequality, we find that individuals mainly seek to differentiate themselves from poorer groups, rather than imitating richer ones. In all cases, average reference group income of similar profile individuals is negatively related to visible consumption. Meanwhile, within-reference group responses are relevant in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico: increased visible goods consumption is associated with larger relative income gaps. In Argentina and Brazil, the sensitivity of visible goods expenditures to income is higher among households located above the reference threshold, which is consistent, again, with more affluent households trying to signal status by differentiating themselves from the most deprived group members. Meanwhile, in the case of Mexico, there is a symmetric response.

Dispositional and Social Correlates of Digital Status Seeking Among Adolescents.

Social media have transformed peer relationships among adolescents, providing new avenues to attain online status indicators such as likes and followers. This study aimed to explore the associations between various dispositional and social factors and digital status-seeking behaviors among a sample of adolescents (N = 731; Mage = 14.69, 48.7 percent female), as well as explore potential gender differences in the examined associations. Sociometric nominations for digital status-seeking, likeability, and popularity were collected, and participants self-reported their social media use frequency, awareness of social media positivity bias, reward sensitivity, and gender. The findings revealed a positive relationship between sociometric popularity and digital status-seeking, whereas likeability displayed a negative association with digital status-seeking. These results emphasize the importance of distinguishing between different social status indicators in understanding online behaviors. Reward sensitivity did not show a significant link to digital status-seeking, and awareness of social media positivity bias heightened the likelihood of being nominated as a digital status-seeker. These findings underscore the need for further research, especially focusing on girls who appear to be more vulnerable to engaging in digital status-seeking behaviors.

Location-pricing problem in a two-echelon supply chain: A behavioral game-theoretic approach

The location-pricing problem is a relatively new class of problems in operations research that aims to solve both the pricing and facility location problems simultaneously. Unlike the classical facility location problem, where the demand of customers is known, in the location-pricing problem, the demand is a function of price. Other factors can also influence the final price of products, including production, transportation and inventory costs, competition and agents' behavior, which make the location-pricing problem complex. To this end, this paper proposes a bi-level mixed integer nonlinear programming model for the location-pricing problem in a two-echelon supply chain with players who make decisions based on their social preferences in a competitive market. The social preferences of players are a topic of great importance in the field of behavioral game theory. If the supply chain players care about the profits of other competitors in their utility functions, the simplifying assumption of pure selfishness must be corrected. It is predicted that considering social preferences for supply chain members can lead to better outcomes and payoffs. This paper proposes a single-to-multiple Stackelberg-Nash game in which a focal company serves as the leader, responsible for the location, capacity allocation, pricing, and production/distribution planning of manufacturers. Additionally, there are two competing retailers, as followers who base their pricing strategies on social preferences in order to gain a larger market share. The competition between the retailers determines the demands of customers. The effects of various parameters are then examined using a sensitivity analysis, and some economic and managerial insights are provided. The findings indicate that when both retailers exhibit status-seeking behavior in the market, average market demand increases as a result of lower retail and wholesale prices, resulting in an increase in the profit margins of the supply chain and agents compared to a model with self-interested players.

The effect of intergenerational mobility on family education investment: evidence from China

The discussion of inequality has been an enduring topic in sociology and economics. With the intensification of inequality, an increasing amount of research has begun to focus on the impact of inequality on various aspects of the economy and society. However, research on how inequality affects families’ education investment behavior currently remains relatively scarce. This study contributes to filling this gap by presenting one of the first analyses of the effect of intergenerational mobility-based opportunity inequality on family education investment. Specifically, based on a Chinese population sample survey conducted in 2015 and the China Family Panel Studies survey conducted in 2018, this paper measures the intergenerational mobility of regions using an index of intergenerational educational rank correlation, and it uses extracurricular tutoring expenses to measure families’ investment in their children’s education. The benchmark regression results show that intergenerational mobility significantly negatively impacts family education investment, with the average family education investment decreasing by 25.75 percent for every 0.1-unit increase in intergenerational mobility. This negative effect remains significant after robustness tests, such as replacing the explanatory variables and dependent variables, considering the influence of important omitted variables, evaluating the impact of unobservable factors, and introducing an instrumental variable for two-stage least squares regression analysis. In addition, this negative impact is more prevalent among families with high socioeconomic status, while it is not significant in families with low socioeconomic status. The reason is that families with low socioeconomic status face greater credit constraints and intergenerational mobility incentives. Furthermore, an examination of the mechanisms involved reveals that although the improvement in intergenerational mobility may increase people’s confidence in investing, it ultimately reduces family education investment by lowering excessive anxiety and the extent of status-seeking behavior among families. According to the analysis, promoting equality of opportunity could mitigate China’s negative educational competition and facilitate the realization of the “Double Reduction” policy.

Location-pricing decisions with carbon emission considerations: A behavioral game-theoretic approach

The location-pricing problem aims to solve pricing and facility location problems at the same time. While the demand of customers is known in the classical facility location problem, it is a function of price in the location-pricing problem. Moreover, some other factors, such as production, transportation and inventory costs, and competition, can affect the final price of products, making the location-pricing problem more complicated. Considering the necessity of incorporating environmental aspects into supply chain design and the importance of considering the behavioral characteristics of decision-makers, this study addresses the location-pricing problem based on these two significant perspectives. In this paper, there is a lead company responsible for locating and planning a set of manufacturers in the first echelon. On the other hand, the focal manager controls the total emissions and sets the wholesale price. In the second echelon, there are two retailers that base their pricing strategies on social preferences in order to gain a larger market share. The competition between the retailers determines the demands of the customers. The modeling approach is based on the Stackelberg-behavioral Nash game and is formulated as a bi-level mixed-integer nonlinear programming model. The problem is solved using a combination of an analytical solution method and the utilization of a commercial optimization solver. The proposed model is assessed using a real case study in the energy sector. The results indicate that deviating from purely selfish behavior in the pursuit of profit can lead to beneficial outcomes. Generally speaking, price competition between status-seeking retailers results in lower prices for the leader and followers compared to the standard game theory approach. This leads to an increase in average demand in the market, which results in increased profit for members and consequently improves the performance of the whole system. Also, it is worth mentioning that the status-seeking behavior of retailers results in a decrease in retail prices, which improves social welfare.

Growth impact of status seeking behavior: A counter example

AbstractThis paper analyzes the impact of status seeking behavior on the growth of income. Conventional wisdom suggests that such behavior should stimulate the growth rate. We introduce a general status indicator as an average of relative income and another that reflects relative expenditure on a status good in a simple dynamic model. We show that the conventional approach, which includes only concern for relative income, matters for growth. Otherwise, higher relative expenditure on a status good does not have any additional impact on optimal growth beyond the golden rule. Thus, the accepted wisdom that relative status concern always stimulates incentive for growth is called into question and provides fresh policy perspective.

Saudi Arabian strategy reassessment since 2003: The emergence of a regional leadership via Neoclassical Realist lenses

This article argues that the well-discussed international behaviour change in Saudi Arabia, rather than being a consequence of the so-called Arab Spring, resulted from a grand strategy reassessment in the early 2000s. Grand strategy concerns how states assess the geostrategic environment, plan resource allocation and prioritize policy to meet national interests. Since the 1970s, Riyadh judged its geopolitical vulnerabilities concerning Iran and Iraq realistically, supporting the least threatening actor from the two and relying on the United States to protect the status quo. However, the 2003 Iraqi invasion forced strategy reevaluation, as it removed Baghdad from the power competition, empowering Tehran, Washington and Riyadh. In this new scenario, Saudi Arabia eventually decides on regional leadership as its priority interest, promoting, thus, partial autonomy from Washington and competition with Tehran. By employing Neoclassical Realism, this article argues that the reevaluation was gradual and in continuity with the monarchical logic. For that, it explores Saudi power position and shifts within status satisfaction and inter-monarchical preferences. Empirically, the article aims to demystify the image of Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman as something that turned the tables within the leadership, arguing that changes in the country's international relations preceded his rise to power, being linked to King Abdullah. It concludes that, while Saudi Arabian geopolitical goal was clear for outside observers only after 2011, the planning process takes precedence. Theoretically, by providing insight into Saudi Arabia's status-seeking behaviour, its motivations and potential limitations, the article also contributes to discussions about de-Westernizing Realism by incorporating Middle Eastern contextuality.

Deviant peers: Does friendship stability condition the peer-delinquency link?

Prior research demonstrates a clear association between deviant peers and delinquent behavior, but it is unclear whether stable relationships provide stronger sources of influence than ephemeral ties. The current study addresses this gap by testing whether individuals are more likely to adjust their delinquent behaviors to be similar to their stable friends compared to their transient affiliations. Drawing from network data in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, we use Stochastic Actor Oriented Models to estimate whether stable friendships condition the peer-delinquency link. Our results suggest the stability of friendships does not impact whether an individual will adopt the delinquency of their friends; adolescents were not more or less likely to conform to their stable and enduring friends compared to their transient and short-lived ties. We discuss the study's implications for understanding peer effects and status-seeking behaviors during adolescence.

The causal effect of testosterone on men's competitive behavior is moderated by basal cortisol and cues to an opponent's status: Evidence for a context-dependent dual-hormone hypothesis.

Testosterone has been theorized to direct status-seeking behaviors, including competitive behavior. However, most human studies to date have adopted correlational designs, and findings across studies are inconsistent. This experiment (n = 115) pharmacologically manipulated men's testosterone levels prior to a mixed-gender math competition and examined basal cortisol (a hormone implicated in stress and social avoidance) and context cues related to an opponent's perceived status (an opponent's gender or a win/loss in a prior competition) as factors that may moderate testosterone's impact on competitive behavior. We test and find support for the hypothesis that testosterone given to low-cortisol men evokes status-seeking behavior, whereas testosterone given to high-cortisol men evokes status-loss avoidance. In the initial rounds of competition, testosterone's influence on competitive decisions depended on basal cortisol and opponent gender. After providing opponent-specific win-lose feedback, testosterone's influence on decisions to reenter competitions depended on basal cortisol and this objective cue to status, not gender. Compared to placebo, men given exogenous testosterone who were low in basal cortisol showed an increased tendency to compete against male and high-status opponents relative to female and low-status opponents (status-seeking). Men given exogenous testosterone who were high in basal cortisol showed the opposite pattern-an increased tendency to compete against female and low-status opponents relative to male and high-status opponents (status-loss avoidance). These results provide support for a context-dependent dual-hormone hypothesis: Testosterone flexibly directs men's competitive behavior contingent on basal cortisol levels and cues that signal an opponent's status. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Burgeoning Research in Emergent Leadership

This symposium features emerging developments in emergent leadership research, reflecting some of the following questions: What role can computational modeling play in exploring different theoretical perspectives of emergent leadership? What do the patterns of leader emergence within team networks reveal that single occurrences of the phenomenon cannot? What influence do cultural norms have on the effectiveness of informal leadership status-seeking behaviors? Of what importance is the gender of those being evaluated for emergent leadership status, and what about the evaluator? More specifically, the studies included in this symposium focus on utilizing agent-based computational modeling as a way to compare social-cognitive and social-interactionist perspectives of leadership emergence (Acton, Foti, & Lord), how social network analysis can reveal patterns of emergent leadership in teams, and how maintaining multiple leader relationships impacts team member stress (Choudhury & Maupin), how high-ability team members' self-promotive behaviors are interpreted differently based on cultural norms (Liu & Hanna), and how the gender of those granting leadership status, as well as the gender composition of informal teams, is predictive of emergent leadership evaluations (Farro, Kukenberger, & D'Innocenzo). The discussant, Dr. William Gardner, will discuss themes across studies, highlight future research directions, and lead an interactive discussion between presenters and the audience. Who recognizes women's emergent leadership? Multilevel effects of gender on emergent leadership Presenter: Andrea Farro; Rowan U. Presenter: Michael Kukenberger; U. of New Hampshire Presenter: Lauren D'Innocenzo; Drexel U. Using agent-based modeling to test core components of the leadership emergence process Presenter: Bryan Acton; Durham U. Business School Presenter: Roseanne Foti; Virginia Tech Presenter: Robert G. Lord; Durham U. Demands of informal leadership in self-managing teams: Stress and well-being in team members Presenter: Anwesha Choudhury; Binghamton U.-State U. of New York Presenter: Cynthia Kay Maupin; U. of Mississippi One impression to rule them all? Culture's role interpreting promotive tactics by emergent leaders Presenter: Bo Liu; Jiangxi U. of Fiance and Economics Presenter: Andrew A. Hanna; U. of Nebraska, Lincoln

Blend in or stand out: social anxiety levels shape information-sharing strategies.

Although living in social groups provides many benefits for group members, such groups also serve as a setting for social competition over rank and influence. Evolutionary accounts suggest that social anxiety plays a role in regulating in-group conflict, as individuals who are concerned about social threat may choose to defer to others to maintain the hierarchical status quo. Here, we examine how social anxiety levels are related to the advice-giving style an individual adopts: a competitive influence-seeking strategy or a defensive blend-in strategy. We begin by demonstrating that similarity to others drives activity in the brain's valuation system, even during a competitive advice-taking task. Then, in three behavioural experiments, we show that social anxiety levels are related to the tendency to give advice resembling the advice given by rival advisers and to refrain from status-seeking behaviour. Social anxiety was also associated with negative social comparisons with rival advisers. Our findings highlight the role of competing social goals in shaping information sharing.

Status and the Federal Republic of Germany: an international exception?

ABSTRACT An avoidance of overt status-seeking behaviour contrasts the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) with many other states. Does the FRG desire international status? Is it substantially different? This article contends that the FRG appreciates status and acquired it through economic and civil achievement, and relatively subtle diplomatic and political means. It does not engage in blatant status pursuit nor ostentatiously impress that which it has. Yet there are rarer examples of more robust status defence, lending insight into an evolving national persona. The article explores the status concept and variations in status as a political motivation. It then examines the FRG in general and specific contexts: sport, the goal of a permanent UNSC seat, and bilateral relations with the USA.

Turning to Rabat: Explaining the Elevation of Moroccan Relations with Caribbean Countries

ABSTRACT Diplomatic relations between Caribbean and African countries are a driving force behind their respective contributions to the conduct of international politics, as the past decade-plus of little-known Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS)-Moroccan relations attests. An analysis of the latter sheds new light on two, interlinked sets of dynamics. First, there is an interplay between those enhanced relations and OECS members’ status-seeking behaviour – through recognition as pro-Rabat, Western Sahara agenda influencers – in a hierarchical system of sovereign states. Second, having regard to the subsequent benefits, the OECS bloc is taking a hard-nosed approach to aligning itself with and diplomatically backing Rabat, which could conflict with some long-established foreign policy tenets of these states.

Socio-Economic Status and Health Seeking Behaviour Among the People of Rural Areas of Pangsha Upazila ofRajbari District, Bangladesh

Background: Health seeking behaviour is an important factor in health management. Socioeconomic status is having greater impact on health care utilization especially in developing countries.Objective: To identify the socioeconomic factors of rural community people and their health care seeking behaviour.Methods: The descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in Pangsha upazila of Rajbari district in Bangladesh, between January 2018 and February 2018. A total of 317 purposively selected people were interviewed face to face using a pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire.Results: In this study, majority 98 (30.91%) of the respondents were within the age group of below 31 years (41.47±15.12). More than two-thirdsi.e. 218 (68.76%) of the respondent was male and majority 205 (64.50%) belonged to nuclear family. Most of the respondents were married 283 (89.00%) and 227 (71.40%) of the respondents were Muslim. Majority 149 (47.00%) of the respondents’ monthly income was between 10000 and 20000 Bangladeshi Taka. Among all respondents, majority 60 (18.92%) people sought treatment for fever. 193 (60.89%) used to visit private health facility. 181 (56.9%) people took treatment by MBBS doctor and 205 (64.50%) of the respondents choose the specific health facility for the reason of better treatment.Conclusion: Health seeking behaviour of people in this study was appreciable. In this study, people received treatment from private health facility. The perception of the people has to be changed to attract them more to government hospitals. It can be done through improving the quality of care, proper maintenance of facilities.Awareness raising activities, and education for health behaviour change are also recommended.International Journal of Human and Health Sciences Vol. 06 No. 02 April’22 Page: 188-192

Effects of Game Outcomes and Status Instability on Spectators' Status Consumption: The Moderating Role of Implicit Team Identification.

This study explores the interaction effects of game outcomes and status instability and the moderating role of implicit team identification on spectators’ status-seeking behavior (the pursuit and preservation of social status). The current study seeks to contribute to the existing consumer behavior and spectatorship literature by examining the counterintuitive outcomes of winner–loser effects through the application of the biosocial theory of status. In an online experiment, NFL fans’ retrospective spectating experiences were captured and manipulated. This experiment used a 2 (game outcome: victory vs. loss) × 2 (status instability: decisive vs. close) × 2 (iTeam ID: high vs. low) between-subjects design. The findings indicated that decisive victories and close losses positively influenced spectators’ future attendance as well as their intention to purchase luxury suites and merchandise featuring images of the team mascot. Conversely, decisive losses and close victories had a negative influence. Additionally, the more spectators implicitly identified with a particular team, the more they exhibited status-seeking behavior; even close victories positively influenced the outcomes. By applying a nascent theoretical approach in the field of consumer behavior (the hormonal account), our results provide fresh insight into explaining spectators’ status-seeking behavior. Also, the findings identify specific conditions in which spectators’ status-seeking behavior is enhanced, thus suggesting ways for managers to strategically allocate their resources.

The dynamics of dominance: open questions, challenges and solutions.

Although social hierarchies are recognized as dynamic systems, they are typically treated as static entities for practical reasons. Here, we ask what we can learn from a dynamical view of dominance, and provide a research agenda for the next decades. We identify five broad questions at the individual, dyadic and group levels, exploring the causes and consequences of individual changes in rank, the dynamics underlying dyadic dominance relationships, and the origins and impacts of social instability. Although challenges remain, we propose avenues for overcoming them. We suggest distinguishing between different types of social mobility to provide conceptual clarity about hierarchy dynamics at the individual level, and emphasize the need to explore how these dynamic processes produce dominance trajectories over individual lifespans and impact selection on status-seeking behaviour. At the dyadic level, there is scope for deeper exploration of decision-making processes leading to observed interactions, and how stable but malleable relationships emerge from these interactions. Across scales, model systems where rank is manipulable will be extremely useful for testing hypotheses about dominance dynamics. Long-term individual-based studies will also be critical for understanding the impact of rare events, and for interrogating dynamics that unfold over lifetimes and generations.This article is part of the theme issue ‘The centennial of the pecking order: current state and future prospects for the study of dominance hierarchies’.

Are facial width-to-height ratio, 2D:4D digit ratio and skeletal muscle mass related to men dominant behavior in the Chicken Game?

Facial width-to-height ratio (fWHR), 2D:4D digit ratio and skeletal muscle mass are morphological traits that have been linked to status-seeking behaviors throughout dominance. However, this link has been contested recently, since the empirical evidence about the relationship between these traits and behavior is mixed. In this study, we tested whether fWHR, 2D:4D digit ratio and skeletal muscle mass were related to dominant behavior employing the Chicken Game, an economic game that may represent a good scenario to investigate hierarchy formation and in which these relationships remain untested. We tested this hypothesis in a sample of 210 Chilean young men (mean = 22.43, SD = 4.35 years old) who played the Chicken Game against an anonymous same-sex individual and one-shot. Our results showed that fWHR was related to dominant choices in the Chicken Game, but null results were found for 2D:4D digit ratio and muscle mass. Accordingly, this study suggests that in a challenging but anonymous interaction only fWHR was related to dominance. Further studies using different conditions of anonymity may contribute to clarify the role of these traits in status-seeking behaviors.

Status-seeking culture and development of capitalism

According to Werner Sombart’s classic text Luxury and Capitalism , the status-seeking behavior of individuals may facilitate the development of capitalism and an early industrialization. In this study, we develop a growth-theoretic framework to formalize this hypothesis by introducing a status-seeking preference into the Schumpeterian growth model of endogenous takeoff. Then, we explore how this cultural preference affects the transition of an economy from pre-industrial stagnation to modern economic growth. We find that the effects of status-seeking behaviors evolve across different stages of economic development. Specifically, a stronger preference for status seeking causes an earlier takeoff and increases economic growth in the short run but has an overall negative effect on the steady-state equilibrium growth rate. Finally, we calibrate the model to US data to perform a quantitative analysis and also use cross-country data to estimate the effects of status-seeking preference on economic growth.

Earlier age of sex and substance use initiation is associated with unique hormone profiles during social evaluative threat in Mexican American adolescents

Latinx adolescents are at a disproportional risk for poor sexual and reproductive health outcomes (STIs, adolescent pregnancy) compared to other ethnic groups. They also report high rates of alcohol and drug use that are similar to non-Hispanic White youth. The hormonal underpinnings of the emergence of sex and substance use behaviors among Latinx adolescents remain understudied however. Pubertal shifts in motivation and reward-seeking in social situations are closely tied to the emergence of risky sexual and substance use behaviors. The experience of developing earlier or later than same age peers may increase stress (cortisol) reactivity during social evaluative situations leading to more risky behavior. Further, testosterone can be responsive to social evaluative threat (SET) and is linked to status-seeking behavior, including risk-taking. The current study sought to unravel the complex relationship between cortisol and testosterone responsivity to social evaluative threat, pubertal status, and the emergence of sex and drug use among US-born Mexican-origin youth growing up in an agricultural community. Mexican American 14-year olds (N = 234, 54% female) from the Center for Health Assessment of Mothers and Children (CHAMACOS) participated in the Trier Social Stress Test. Cortisol and testosterone were assayed from saliva. At 16, youth reported on age at vaginal and oral sex initiation, and alcohol and marijuana use initiation. Hierarchical regressions examined cortisol and testosterone reactivity, and pubertal status within each sex to predict the onset of these risky behaviors. Results indicated that boys who were less developed than their same-aged peers or with lower testosterone reactivity and elevated cortisol reactivity to the TSST reported the earliest sex and substance use initiation. For girls, higher cortisol reactivity predicted earlier alcohol use initiation, and higher testosterone reactivity predicted earlier oral sex. Our results suggests it is important for health care providers to not overlook Latinx boys who may look younger in discussions about mitigating risk. Latinx girls under increased stress may be more likely to try to self-medicate with alcohol, and potentially other drugs.