Looking down and ramping up: The impact of status differences on effort in intergroup contexts

• Published in: Journal of experimental social psychology Vol. 46; no. 1; pp. 9 - 20
• Main Authors: Pettit, Nathan C., Lount, Robert B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.01.2010; Elsevier; Academic Press
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Group dynamics; Individual behaviour; Intergroup comparisons; Intergroup relations; Motivation; Motivation gains; Out-groups; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Self-categorization; Self-categorization threat; Social identity; Social identity threat; Social interactions. Communication. Group processes; Social psychology; Status; Threat; Status; Self-categorization threat; Intergroup comparisons; Social identity threat; Motivation gains; Context; Human; Social group; Personality; Social belonging; Motivation; Social interaction; Self concept; Categorization; Intergroup relation; Social identity
• ISSN: 0022-1031; 1096-0465
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jesp.2009.08.008

This paper examines how the status of an out-group impacts effort in intergroup settings. The results provide evidence that people work harder when their individual performance is compared to a lower, as opposed to higher, status out-group member. Moreover, comparisons to a lower status out-group were found to elicit motivation gains as these participants worked harder than participants in the control (Studies 1–3) or in-group comparison conditions (Studies 2 and 3). In Study 4, evidence for the role of threat as an underlying mechanism was provided as gains in effort for those compared with a lower status out-group member were eliminated when participants self- or group-affirmed prior to comparison. Finally, Study 5 shows that both social identity threat and self-categorization threat underlie increases in effort for participants compared to a lower status out-group member. We detail a theoretical basis for our claim that performance comparisons with lower status out-group members are especially threatening, and discuss the implications for this research in terms of social identity and self-categorization theories as they relate to effort in intergroup contexts.