Abstract

High-relative to low-status individuals have greater prestige and are provided greater deference. The present research addressed the hypotheses that the status of individuals determines for others (a) the likelihood of the individuals encountering specified emotion-eliciting situations, and (b) the emotions they will experience following their encounter of the elicitors. In Study 1, participants rated the likelihood of high and low-status individuals encountering specific emotion-eliciting situations. As expected, participants considered lower status individuals as more likely to encounter the negative elicitors of anger, disgust, fear, and sadness, along with surprise elicitors. Higher status individuals were perceived as more likely to encounter the happiness elicitors. Results for the love elicitors were mainly in keeping with expectations that high- and low-status individuals are perceived as equally likely to encounter love elicitors. In Studies 2 and 3, participants rated the emotional experience of high- and low-status individuals following their encounter of the negative and positive elicitors considered in Study 1, and surprise. Participants perceived that following the encounter of negative elicitors, high- relative to low-status individuals experience more anger, disgust, and surprise. No difference emerged in participants' perception of high- and low-status individuals' emotional experience following their encounter of surprise elicitors. Participants perceived that following the encounter of positive elicitors low-relative to high-status individuals experience more fear and surprise. Study 4 addressed an alternative explanation for the results of Studies 2 and 3. With few exceptions, a group conflict perspective was not capable of explaining the results of Studies 2 and 3. Overall, the present studies further clarify how the status of individuals affects how they are perceived by others. Peoples' perceptions of high- and low-status individuals' emotional experience seem best explained from a perspective that considers both the potency of the emotion experienced and the status of the individual who is described to have encountered an elicitor.