scholarly journals Exogenous testosterone increases status-seeking motivation in men with unstable low social status

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annabel B Losecaat Vermeer ◽  
Isabelle Krol ◽  
Christian Gausterer ◽  
Bernhard Wagner ◽  
Christoph Eisenegger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Status ◽  
Cag Repeat ◽  
Low Rank ◽  
High Status ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Status Seeking ◽  
The Status ◽  
Testosterone Administration ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Competition Behavior

Testosterone is associated with status-seeking behaviors such as competition, which may depend on whether one wins or loses status, but also on the stability of one’s status. We examined (1) to what extent testosterone administration affects competition behavior in repeated social contests in men with high or low rank, and (2), whether this relationship is moderated by hierarchy stability, as predicted by the status instability hypothesis. Using a real effort-based design in healthy male participants (N = 173 males), we first found that testosterone (vs. placebo) increased motivation to compete for status, but only in individuals with a low unstable status. A second part of the experiment, tailored to directly compare stable with unstable hierarchies, indicated that exogenous testosterone again increased competitive motivation in individuals with a low unstable status, but decreased competition behavior in men with low stable status. Additionally, exogenous testosterone increased motivation in those with a stable high status. Further analysis suggested that these effects were moderated by individuals’ trait dominance, and genetic differences assessed by the androgen receptor (CAG-repeat) and dopamine transporter (DAT1) polymorphisms. Our study provides evidence that testosterone specifically boosts status-related motivation when there is an opportunity to improve one’s social status. The findings contribute to our understanding of testosterone’s causal role in status-seeking motivation in competition behavior, and indicate that testosterone adaptively increases our drive for high status in a context-dependent manner. We discuss potential neurobiological pathways through which testosterone may attain these effects on behavior.

scholarly journals Having power, having babies? Fertility patterns among German elite politicians

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (1-2019) ◽  
pp. 27-39
Author(s):  
Ansgar Hudde ◽  
Carmen Friedrich
Keyword(s):  
General Population ◽  
Social Status ◽  
Role Model ◽  
Political Elite ◽  
High Fertility ◽  
High Status ◽  
Eastern Germany ◽  
The Status ◽  
Western Germany ◽  
East West

Members of the political elite have far-reaching influence on the overall society. In this paper, we analyse fertility patterns among the German political elite for two reasons: First, we learn more about the living circumstances of a subgroup that makes crucial decisions and could serve as a role model for the general population. Second, we gain insight into the association between social status and fertility patterns at the top tier of the status distribution. We collect biographical data from all high-rank politicians in Germany in 2006 and/or 2017, comprising 184 women and 353 men. We compare fertility patterns in this subgroup to the general population, as well as we differentiate the number of children by politicians’gender, region (eastern/western Germany), party affiliation, and other variables. Results show that, on average, male politicians have relatively many children: 2.0 in western Germany, and 2.2 in eastern Germany. Female politicians have very few children in western Germany (1.3) and relatively many in eastern Germany (1.9). The east-west gap between men and women is entirely driven by differences in childlessness. For men, the observation of high fertility in this high-status group could hint towards a positive association between social status and fertility at the top of the status distribution. For women, large east-west differences in this subgroup could mean that the association between social status and fertility at the top of the status distribution might be negative or positive, depending on macro-level characteristics such as gender norms and work-family reconciliation policies.

Asset Pricing with Status Risk

2011 ◽  
Vol 01 (03) ◽  
pp. 495-549 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoel Krasny
Keyword(s):  
Factor Model ◽  
Empirical Literature ◽  
Idiosyncratic Volatility ◽  
High Status ◽  
Portfolio Choices ◽  
Status Seeking ◽  
The Status ◽  
High Volatility ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Significant Support

This paper examines the impact of status-seeking considerations on investors' portfolio choices and asset prices in a general equilibrium setting. The economy studied in this paper consists of traditional ("Markowitz") investors as well as status-seekers who are concerned about relative wealth. The model highlights the strategic and interdependent nature of portfolio selection in such a setting: Low-status investors look for portfolio choices that maximize their chances of moving up the ladder while high-status investors look to maintain the status quo and hedge against these choices of the low-status investors. In equilibrium, asset returns obey a novel two-factor model in which one factor is the traditional market factor and the other is a particular "high volatility factor" that does not appear to have been identified so far in the theoretical or empirical literature. This two-factor model found significant support when tested with stock market data. Of particular interest is that the model and the empirical results attribute the low returns on idiosyncratic volatility stocks to their covariance with the portfolio of highly volatile stocks held by investors with relatively low status.

Status Seekers in India: A sociological study of the neo-Buddhist movement

1979 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Bopegamage
Keyword(s):  
Social Status ◽  
Modern Technology ◽  
High Status ◽  
Sociological Study ◽  
Good Education ◽  
The Social ◽  
Status Seeking ◽  
Caste Groups ◽  
The Doors

In every stratified society there are groups of people, mainly from the lower strata, who aspire to rise in social status. In order to realize their aspirations they adopt various means: some change their occupation for one carrying more prestige; some give their children a good education and try to place them in positions superior to their own; some emulate the behaviour and style of life of those whose higher status they aspire to reach; some try to gain admittance to the social circles mostly frequented by high-status people; some change their residence and some surround themselves with status symbols hoping that they will influence the ‘raters’ appraising them. For this process which goes on among various low-caste groups in India, Srinivas, an Indian sociologist, coined a separate term, ‘sanskritization’. With the opening of the doors by many under-developed societies for the introduction of modern technology and industrialization, status seeking has become one of the preoccupations of millions of people.

scholarly journals Effects of Testosterone Administration on Strategic Gambling in Poker Play

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jack van Honk ◽  
Geert-Jan Will ◽  
David Terburg ◽  
Werner Raub ◽  
Christoph Eisenegger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Single Dose ◽  
Social Status ◽  
Young Women ◽  
Economic Resources ◽  
The Other ◽  
Poker Game ◽  
Status Seeking ◽  
Testosterone Administration ◽  
Cooperative Behaviors ◽  
Profit Maximizing

Abstract Testosterone has been associated with economically egoistic and materialistic behaviors, but -defensibly driven by reputable status seeking- also with economically fair, generous and cooperative behaviors. Problematically, social status and economic resources are inextricably intertwined in humans, thus testosterone’s primal motives are concealed. We critically addressed this issue by performing a placebo-controlled single-dose testosterone administration in young women, who played a game of bluff poker wherein concerns for status and resources collide. The profit-maximizing strategy in this game is to mislead the other players by bluffing randomly (independent of strength of the hand), thus also when holding very poor cards (cold bluffing). The profit-maximizing strategy also dictates the players in this poker game to never call the other players’ bluffs. For reputable-status seeking these materialistic strategies are disadvantageous; firstly, being caught cold bluffing damages one’s reputation by revealing deceptive intent and secondly, not calling the other players’ bluffs signals submission in blindly tolerating deception. Here we show that testosterone administration in this game of bluff poker significantly reduces random bluffing, as well as cold bluffing, while significantly increasing calling. Our data suggest that testosterone in humans primarily motivates for reputable-status seeking, even when this elicits behaviors that are economically disadvantageous.

How Status-seeking States Can Cooperate: Explaining India–China Rapprochement After the Doklam Standoff

2019 ◽  
Vol 75 (2) ◽  
pp. 172-189
Author(s):  
Chao Xie
Keyword(s):  
Status Seeking ◽  
The Status ◽  
Indirect Path ◽  
The Usa ◽  
International Identity ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Zero Sum ◽  
Rising Power ◽  
India And China

Noticing the gap in the existing literature, this article attempts to argue that status-seeking motives do not necessarily result in zero-sum games and hence tries to summarise conditions for status-seekers to manage conflicts and realise cooperation with one another through creative use of social mobility and creativity strategies. As a case study, this article examines the evolving relations between India and China since 2013 and demonstrates how relations between these two status-seeking states can become confrontational with conflicting status-seeking incentives. For some time, the status competition seemingly dominated their interactions, when India was not willing to accept China’s power status second only to the USA, and China reluctant to recognise India as another rising power with nuclear capabilities. After the Donglang (Doklam) standoff, both governments are finding ways to manage an indirect path for cooperation through a newly discovered multilateral framework. The elements contributing to the stability of their relations lie in their choice of international identity and political calculations in which they can engage with the other based on their shared interests in fostering solidary among developing countries.

Climbing down the ladder makes you play it safe

2017 ◽  
Vol 51 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 946-959 ◽  
Author(s):  
Youjae Yi ◽  
Seo Young Kim ◽  
Jae Won Hwang
Keyword(s):  
Social Status ◽  
Social Exclusion ◽  
Purchase Intentions ◽  
High Status ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Status ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Socially Excluded ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This study aims to examine how social exclusion and the social status of a rejecter affect consumers’ purchase intentions toward ordinary products. Design/methodology/approach Three experiments were conducted to test the hypotheses. Findings The status of a rejecter, whether high or low, had a significant influence on individuals’ evaluations of ordinary products. Results showed that individuals who were rejected by a low status source had higher purchase intentions toward the ordinary (vs unique) products compared to those who were rejected by a high status source due to threatened self-concept. Practical implications With the increased number of lonely consumers in the market today, firms should pay closer attention to the behavioral patterns of consumers who are socially excluded. In addition, firms should be aware that consumers’ purchase intentions vary depending on the sources of social exclusion. Originality/value This paper addresses the significant impact of sources of social exclusion on consumers’ evaluation of ordinary products. Moreover, this study focuses on a relatively neglected definition of social status, namely, the sociometric status, to fill the gap in the social status literature.

scholarly journals Exogenous testosterone increases the audience effect in healthy males: evidence for the social status hypothesis

2020 ◽  
Vol 287 (1931) ◽  
pp. 20200976
Author(s):  
Yin Wu ◽  
Yinhua Zhang ◽  
Jianxin Ou ◽  
Yang Hu ◽  
Samuele Zilioli
Keyword(s):  
Social Status ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Audience Effect ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Personal Cost ◽  
The Social ◽  
Testosterone Gel ◽  
Status Seeking ◽  
Monetary Transfer ◽  
Charity Organization

Several studies have implicated testosterone in the modulation of altruistic behaviours instrumental to advancing social status. Independent studies have also shown that people tend to behave more altruistically when being watched (i.e. audience effect). To date, little is known about whether testosterone could modulate the audience effect. In the current study, we tested the effect of testosterone on altruistic behaviour using a donation task, wherein participants were asked to either accept or reject a monetary transfer to a charity organization accompanying a personal cost either in the presence or absence of an observer. We administered testosterone gel or placebo to healthy young men ( n = 140) in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, mixed design. Our results showed that participants were more likely to accept the monetary transfer to the charity when being observed compared to when they completed the task alone. More importantly, this audience effect was amplified among people receiving testosterone versus placebo. Our findings suggest that testosterone administration increases the audience effect and further buttress the social status hypothesis, according to which testosterone promotes status-seeking behaviour in a context-dependent manner.

scholarly journals Testosterone increases risk-taking for status but not for money

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annabel B Losecaat Vermeer ◽  
Maarten Boksem ◽  
Christian Gausterer ◽  
Christoph Eisenegger ◽  
Claus Lamm
Keyword(s):  
Social Status ◽  
Risk Taking ◽  
Risk Preferences ◽  
Social Rank ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Status Seeking ◽  
Increase Risk ◽  
Testosterone Administration ◽  
Gains And Losses

Testosterone has long been thought to increase risk-taking, but evidence supporting this association is mixed. Instead, testosterone’s key role may be to promote status-seeking behaviors. Here, we examined to what extent testosterone administration affects risk preferences for both monetary and social status outcomes, and whether this relationship is moderated by an individuals’ social status. Male participants (N=166) experienced high or low status in a competition task and then played two risk tasks; one involving gambles with only monetary outcomes, and another one involving gambles with non-monetary outcomes that influenced their social rank. We found that testosterone (vs. placebo) altered risk preferences for gains and losses in social rank, but not for monetary gains and losses. Specifically, testosterone increased risk-taking to increase social rank in individuals with high, but not low social status. These results demonstrate a context-dependent role of testosterone in regulating risk-taking for social status.

Migration imaginations of residents of the Khabarovsk territory: experience of the pilot sociological research

2020 ◽  
Vol 93 (4) ◽  
pp. 215-226
Author(s):  
V. V. Zubkov ◽  
◽  
P.G. Sidorov ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Research Methodology ◽  
Sociological Research ◽  
Sociological Study ◽  
Target Groups ◽  
Permanent Residence ◽  
Sociological Approach ◽  
The Status ◽  
Personal Attitudes ◽  
The Stability

The article presents the results of a pilot sociological study of migration perceptions of the population, the reasons for their formation, as well as the factors and conditions under which the willingness to live and work in the Khabarovsk Territory is realized. The analysis of the results of the survey, which according to the research methodology was conducted in two target groups ("residents of the region" and "student youth"), indicates the stability and reproduction of migration intentions as a determined willingness and desire to leave the place of permanent residence in the Khabarovsk territory. The sociological approach to the study of migration perceptions of the target groups under study consists in determining the target attitudes, guidelines and expectations from moving, due to the status-role set and personal attitudes of respondents.

Rebranding China

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoyu Pu
Keyword(s):  
International Relations ◽  
The United States ◽  
Chinese Foreign Policy ◽  
First Century ◽  
Theoretical Argument ◽  
Status Signaling ◽  
Status Seeking ◽  
Military Transformation ◽  
The Status ◽  
Offensive Realism

China plays a variety of status games, sometimes emphasizing its status as an emerging great power and other times highlighting its status as a fragile developing country. The reasons for this are unclear. Drawing on original Chinese sources, social psychological theories, and international relations theories, this book provides a theoretically informed analysis of China’s global rebranding and repositioning in the twenty-first century. Contrary to offensive realism and power transition theory, the book argues that China is not always a status maximizer eager to replace the United States as the new global leader. Differing from most constructivist and psychological studies that focus on the status seeking of rising powers, this study develops a theory of status signaling that combines both rationalist and constructivist insights. The book argues that Chinese leaders face competing pressure from domestic and international audiences to project different images. The book suggests that China’s continual struggle for international status is primarily driven by domestic political calculations. Meanwhile, at the international level, China is concerned about over-recognition of its status for instrumental reasons. The theoretical argument is illustrated through detailed analysis of Chinese foreign policy. Examining major cases such as China’s military transformation, China’s regional diplomacy, and China’s global diplomacy during the 1997 Asian and 2008 global financial crises, this book makes important contributions to international relations theory and Asian studies.

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