A Chronic Lack of Perceived Low Personal Control Increases Women and Men’s Self-Reported Preference for High-Status Characteristics When Selecting Romantic Partners in Simulated Dating Situations

2021 ◽  
pp. 194855062110163
Author(s):  
Joris Lammers ◽  
Roland Imhoff
Keyword(s):  
Personal Control ◽  
Romantic Partners ◽  
High Status ◽  
Partner Preferences ◽  
Final Study ◽  
Status Characteristics ◽  
Control Deprivation ◽  
Average Status ◽  
Perceived Personal Control ◽  
Control Study

The question what people desire in their romantic partner has hitherto been dominated by a focus on gender. It has been repeatedly found that, when asked what they find important in selecting a partner, women indicate that they find status more important compared to men. Across five studies, we move beyond gender and base ourselves on general theories of control deprivation to test the effect of differences in perceived personal control on stated partner preferences. We find that low-control people—both women and men—value characteristics associated with status more in romantic partners at the expense of other desirable traits (Study 1a and 1b). Furthermore, in simulated dating settings, low-control people make corresponding dating choices and prefer hypothetical high-status partners over low- (Study 2a) or average-status partners (Study 2b). Our final study suggests a beneficial aspect: Thoughts of dating a high-status partner can repair low-control people’s feelings of control (Study 3).

From “we” to “me”: Group identification enhances perceived personal control with consequences for health and well-being

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katharine Helen Greenaway ◽  
S. Alex Haslam ◽  
Tegan Cruwys ◽  
Nyla Branscombe ◽  
Renate Ysseldyk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Group Identification ◽  
Social Groups ◽  
Personal Control ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Academic Community ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Perceived Personal Control ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Control Study

There is growing recognition that identification with social groups can protect and enhance health and well-being, thereby constituting a kind of “social cure.” The present research explores the role of control as a novel mediator of the relationship between shared group identity and well-being. Five studies provide evidence for this process. Group identification predicted significantly greater perceived personal control across 47 countries (Study 1), and in groups that had experienced success and failure (Study 2). The relationship was observed longitudinally (Study 3) and experimentally (Study 4). Manipulated group identification also buffered a loss of personal control (Study 5). Across the studies, perceived personal control mediated social cure effects in political, academic, community, and national groups. The findings reveal that the personal benefits of social groups come not only from their ability to make people feel good, but also from their ability to make people feel capable and in control of their lives.

Romantic Partners in a Market Perspective: Expectations about What Ensures a Highly Desirable Partner

2013 ◽  
Vol 113 (2) ◽  
pp. 605-618 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felipe N. Castro ◽  
Wallisen T. Hattori ◽  
Maria Emília Yamamoto ◽  
Fívia A. Lopes
Keyword(s):  
Social Skills ◽  
Statistical Models ◽  
Physical Attractiveness ◽  
Romantic Partners ◽  
Evolutionary Perspective ◽  
Status Characteristics ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Biological Market ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
Market Perspective

This study used the biological market perspective and influential statistical models from the marketing field to investigate males' and females' expectations regarding which combination of characteristics are most relevant in ensuring desirable partnerships for same-sex individuals. Thus, 358 Brazilian undergraduates assessed eight descriptions of same-gender stimulus targets (formulated with different levels of physical attractiveness, social skills, and current or prospective social status) and evaluated the overall desirability of the targets' expected or probable partners. From the possible combinations, three groups emerged: for one group, mainly composed of men, status characteristics were the most important attributes; for the others, mostly composed of women, social skills or physical characteristics were identified as most important in appealing to a desirable partner. This work expands the understanding of variability in male and female romantic expectations, and its implications are discussed from an evolutionary perspective.

Social Comparison for Concern and Action on Climate Change, Racial Injustice, and COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Virginia Ulichney ◽  
Johanna Jarcho ◽  
Thomas Shipley ◽  
joy ham ◽  
Chelsea Helion
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Social Comparison ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Personal Control ◽  
Personal Concern ◽  
Racial Injustice ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Perceived Personal Control

Preventing the negative impacts of major, intersectional U.S. social issues hinges on personal concern and willingness to take action. We examined social comparison of COVID-19, racial injustice, and climate change during Fall 2020. Participants in a U.S. university sample (n = 288), reported personal levels of concern and action taken on these issues, and estimated their peers’ concern and action. Participants accurately estimated similar levels of personal and peer concern for racial injustice and climate change, but overestimated peer concern for COVID-19. At higher personal concern levels, people estimated that they took greater action than peers for all issues. Exploratory analyses found that perceived personal control over social issues increased participants’ concern and action for racial injustice and climate change, but yielded no change for COVID-19. This suggests that issue-specific features, including perceived controllability, may drive people to differently assess their experience of distinct social issues relative to peers.

scholarly journals Social Structures in Transition: Applications of Two Theories to Chiefdoms

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 237802311877175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pamela Emanuelson ◽  
David Willer
Keyword(s):  
Elementary Theory ◽  
Social Structures ◽  
High Status ◽  
Structural Form ◽  
Downward Mobility ◽  
Status Characteristics Theory ◽  
The Third ◽  
Status Characteristics ◽  
The Status ◽  
Lineage Structure

Status characteristics theory and elementary theory are applied to explain developments through three structural forms that chiefdoms are known to take. Theoretic models find that downward mobility inherent in the first form, the status-lineage structure, destabilizes its system of privilege. As a consequence, high-status actors are motivated to find mechanisms to preserve and enhance privilege. By engaging in hostile relations with other chiefdoms, high-status actors offer protection to low-status others from real or imagined threats. Through that protection, they gain tribute and support. The result is structural change from influence based on status to power exercised through indirect coercion, the second structural form. In settled societies, accumulation through war and selective redistribution contribute to separation of warrior and commoner rankings. That separation leads to the third structural form, direct coercive chiefdom.

Perceived Personal Control Measure

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katharine H. Greenaway ◽  
Winnifred R. Louis ◽  
Matthew J. Hornsey
Keyword(s):  
Control Measure ◽  
Personal Control ◽  
Perceived Personal Control

How autonomy makes an experience pleasurable: The roles of risk perception and personal control

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-61
Author(s):  
Renaud Lunardo ◽  
Camille Saintives
Keyword(s):  
Field Study ◽  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Risk Perceptions ◽  
Personal Control ◽  
Moderating Effect ◽  
Social Risk ◽  
Consumption Experience ◽  
Consumer Autonomy ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Control Study

This research challenges the notion that autonomy is beneficial for consumers in every situation. Specifically, this research demonstrates across two experiments and one field study that autonomy can lead to pleasure only when risk is low. Importantly, these studies also identify personal control as a mechanism that explains why autonomy makes the consumption experience more or less pleasurable, depending on risk perceptions. In Study 1, we demonstrate that perceived risk moderates the effect that autonomy may have on making the experience pleasurable, with a lack of risk making autonomy increase personal control. Study 2 replicates this moderating effect of risk in a field study. To test if the effects replicate using another type of perceived risk, Study 3 manipulates social risk and replicates its moderating effect on the relationship between autonomy and personal control on the pleasure observed in Studies 1 and 2. Collectively, this research draws attention to the need to consider risk when making consumers autonomous, and it offers novel contributions to the work on consumer autonomy.

Mediating Effects of Perceived Personal Control in Coping With a Health Threat: The Case of Genetic Counseling1

1997 ◽  
Vol 27 (13) ◽  
pp. 1146-1174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shoshana Shiloh ◽  
Michal Berkenstadt ◽  
Nachshon Meiran ◽  
Mariassa Bat-Miriam-Katznelson ◽  
Boleslav Goldman
Keyword(s):  
Personal Control ◽  
Mediating Effects ◽  
Health Threat ◽  
Perceived Personal Control

Perceived Personal Control and Academic Achievement

1981 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah J. Stipek ◽  
John R. Weisz
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Personal Control ◽  
Perceived Personal Control
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