Examining the connection between position‐based power and social status across 70 cultures

Even in the most egalitarian societies, hierarchies of power and status shape social life. However, power and received status are not synonymous-individuals in positions of power may or may not be accorded the respect corresponding to their role. Using a cooperatively collected dataset from 18,096 participants across 70 cultures, we investigate, through a survey-based correlational design, when perceived position-based power (operationalized as influence and control) of various powerholders is associated with their elevated social status (operationalized as perceived respect and instrumental social value). We document that the positive link between power and status characterizes most cultural regions, except for WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic) and Post-Soviet regions. The strength of this association depends on individual and cultural factors. First, the perceived other-orientation of powerholders amplifies the positive link between perceived power and status. The perceived self-orientation of powerholders weakens this relationship. Second, among cultures characterized by low Self-Expression versus Harmony (e.g., South Korea, Taiwan), high Embeddedness (e.g., Senegal), and high Cultural Tightness (e.g., Malaysia), the association between power and status tends to be particularly strong. The results underline the importance of both individual perceptions and societal values in how position-based power relates to social status.

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Publication Details

Journal
British Journal of Social Psychology
Published
2025-03-04
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1111/bjso.12871
Citations
1
Primary Topic
Cultural Differences and Values
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
2.44

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article

Examining the connection between position‐based power and social status across 70 cultures

Eric R. Igou, Marwan Al‐Zoubi, Cláudio Torres, Agata Kocimska‐Bortnowska et al.
1 citations
British Journal of Social Psychology
Cultural Differences and Values
2.44
article

Examining the connection between position‐based power and social status across 70 cultures

Eric R. Igou, Marwan Al‐Zoubi, Cláudio Torres, Agata Kocimska‐Bortnowska, Joonha Park, Vladimir Turjačanin, Rosita Sobhie, Brian W. Haas, Ayu Okvitawanli, Vivian Miu‐Chi Lun, Nur Amali Aminnuddin, Oumar Barry, Борис Соколов, Adil Samekin, Ewelina Purc, Liman Man Wai Li, Christin‐Melanie Vauclair, Michael Harris Bond, Arno Baltin, Fridanna Maricchiolo, Fumiko Kano Glückstad, Magdalena Mosanya, Elmina Kazimzade, Patrick Denoux, Petra Anić, David O. Igbokwe, Tra Thi Thanh Kieu, Márta Fülöp, Martín Nader, Ragna B. Garðarsdóttir, Md. Reza-A- Rabby, Vladimer Lado Gamsakhurdia, Hannah Lee, Natalia Soboleva, Chien‐Ru Sun, Wijnand A. P. van Tilburg, Vlad Costin, Mary Anne Lauri, Katarzyna Myślińska‐Szarek, Nuha Iter, Julien Teyssier, Heyla A. Selim, Iva Poláčková Šolcová, Магдалена Гарванова, Victoria Wai Lan Yeung, Olha Vlasenko, June Chun Yeung, Ángel Sánchez‐Rodríguez, Danielle P. Ochoa, Plamen Akaliyski, Oriana Mosca, Vivian L. Vignoles, Alin Gavreliuc, Belkacem Yakhlef, Grace Akello, Agustín Espinosa, Linda Mohammed, Cai Xing, Laura Andrade, Natália Kaščáková, Eric Kenson Yau, M. Górski, Mohsen Joshanloo, Naved Iqbal, Mahmoud Boussena, Karolina Nowak, Mladen Adamovic, Biljana Gjoneska, Elke Murdock, Arina Yu. Malenova, Kuba Kryś, Jorge Vergara‐Morales, Charity Sylvia Akotia, Morten Tønnessen, Zoran Pavlović, John M. Zelenski, Nicole Kronberger, Farida Guemaz, İ̇dil Işık, Arkadiusz Wasiel, Ana Maria Rocha, Muhammad Rizwan, M. Azhar Hussain, Alejandra del Carmen Domínguez Espinosa, Jae‐Won Yang, Mateusz Olechowski, Rasmata Bakyono‐Nabaloum, Maria Kluzowicz, Fatma Mokadem, Moritz Streng
article en
1 citations

Abstract

Even in the most egalitarian societies, hierarchies of power and status shape social life. However, power and received status are not synonymous-individuals in positions of power may or may not be accorded the respect corresponding to their role. Using a cooperatively collected dataset from 18,096 participants across 70 cultures, we investigate, through a survey-based correlational design, when perceived position-based power (operationalized as influence and control) of various powerholders is associated with their elevated social status (operationalized as perceived respect and instrumental social value). We document that the positive link between power and status characterizes most cultural regions, except for WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic) and Post-Soviet regions. The strength of this association depends on individual and cultural factors. First, the perceived other-orientation of powerholders amplifies the positive link between perceived power and status. The perceived self-orientation of powerholders weakens this relationship. Second, among cultures characterized by low Self-Expression versus Harmony (e.g., South Korea, Taiwan), high Embeddedness (e.g., Senegal), and high Cultural Tightness (e.g., Malaysia), the association between power and status tends to be particularly strong. The results underline the importance of both individual perceptions and societal values in how position-based power relates to social status.

British Journal of Social PsychologyVol. 64(2)
Tbilisi State University (GE), Roskilde University (DK), University of Essex (GB), John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin (PL), University of Jordan (JO), National Research University Higher School of Economics (RU), Roma Tre University (IT), Sebelas Maret University (ID), Johannes Kepler University of Linz (AT), Bahçeşehir University (TR), Université Joseph Ki-Zerbo (BF), Gulu University (UG), University of Ghana (GH), Hong Kong Polytechnic University (HK), Universidade de Brasília (BR), University of Rijeka (HR), University of Sussex (GB), Koblenz University of Applied Sciences (DE), University of Iceland (IS), University of Georgia (US), Osnabrück University (DE), University of Cagliari (IT), University of Banja Luka (BA), Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts (MK), University of Trinidad and Tobago (TT), Université Fédérale de Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées (FR), Copenhagen Business School (DK), King's College London (GB), Universidad de Salamanca (ES), University of Luxembourg (LU), Universiti Brunei Darussalam (BN), University of Library Studies and Information Technologies (BG), Tallinn University (EE), Baku State University (AZ), University of Malta (MT), Czech Academy of Sciences (CZ), Universidad Iberoamericana (MX), University of Limerick (IE), Omsk State University (RU), Palestine Technical University - Kadoorie (PS), University of Haripur (PK), King Saud University (SA), University of Sharjah (AE), Anton de Kom University of Suriname (SR), West University of Timişoara (RO), Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary (HU), Baze University (NG), Uniwersytet SWPS (PL), University of Belgrade (RS), Education University of Hong Kong (HK), Indiana University Northwest (US), University of the Americas (CL), Sopot University of Applied Science (PL), King's College School (GB), Institute of Psychology (PL), Kyoto University of Education (JP), École Normale Supérieure de Constantine (DZ), Maqsut Narikbayev University (KZ), Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology (HU), Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Psychology (CZ), Catholic University of Angola (AO), Universität Koblenz (DE), University of Warsaw (PL), Keimyung University (KR), BRAC University (BD), Jamia Millia Islamia (IN), Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (PE), Carleton University (CA), Palacký University Olomouc (CZ), Icesi University (CO), Renmin University of China (CN), University of the Philippines Diliman (PH), Catholic University of Korea (KR), National Chengchi University (TW), University of Stavanger (NO), College of Business Administration (LV), Cheikh Anta Diop University (SN)
European Commission, Hungarian Scientific Research Fund, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, Narodowe Centrum Nauki, National Research University Higher School of Economics
Reduced inequalities
Openalex Percentile: Top 15%
Cultural Differences and Values
2.44
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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