<p>This is a really broad question - what you seem to be asking is: what research addresses social hierarchies, competition, and neurological/psychological/physiological effects of perception of social status.</p>

<p>It's interesting to note that social status signals likely developed before language, as they are a means of non-verbal communication (language is quite new, evolutionarily-speaking).  </p>

<p>In the most broad sense, the answer to your question is that research on social psychology and social neuroscience, particularly that related to hierarchy, dominance, and perception of social standing, is what you're looking for.  This is the 'body of research'.</p>

<p>Past this point, I'm not sure what you're asking...  Are you wondering in what brain structures this type of behavior appears to originate?  Or are you more interested in the cognitive processing going on behind the scenes when people mentally alter their internalized social standing?  Or are you looking for a jumping off point?</p>

<p>If you are particularly looking for the neural basis of this behavior, check out the links below.  All relate to the neurological basis of social processing in the human brain.</p>

<hr>

<p>Original answer:</p>

<p>I'm at work so I don't have a lot of time to put together a comprehensive answer, but here are some articles:  </p>

<ul>
<li><a href="http://repository.cmu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1285&amp;context=psychology" rel="nofollow">Perigenual anterior cingulate morphology covaries
with perceived social standing</a>  </li>
<li><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2430590/" rel="nofollow">Know Your Place: Neural Processing of Social Hierarchy in Humans</a>  </li>
<li><a href="http://www.jbfreeman.net/pubs/Freeman_PBR.pdf" rel="nofollow">The Cultural Neuroscience of Person Perception</a>  </li>
<li><a href="http://scan.oxfordjournals.org/content/2/3/159.full" rel="nofollow">Using neuroimaging techniques to explore the relationship between social status and health
</a>  </li>
<li><a href="http://www.ccnl.emory.edu/greg/Berns%20Conformity%20final%20printed.pdf" rel="nofollow">Neurobiological Correlates of Social Conformity and
Independence During Mental Rotation</a>  </li>
<li><a href="http://www.psychosomaticmedicine.org/content/72/5/450.abstract" rel="nofollow">Neurobiological Pathways Linking Socioeconomic Position and Health
</a></li>
</ul>

<p>For the record, the Google search used to find these was <code>neural correlates of perceived social +status</code></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-09-14T15:10:46.843Z
would you be able to expand on this answer to summarize the basic findings of these papers? Or their topics further than just title?
Artem Kaznatcheev
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-09-14T15:28:28.253Z
i went with altering the answer entirely for now; i'll get around to reading all of these eventually...
BenCole
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-24T17:48:40.123Z
2012-09-14T15:27:32.527Z
2012-09-14T15:27:32.527Z
BenCole
<p>Folk explanations of human behaviour often refer to "high status" or "low status", and the phrase sometimes pops up in more formal contexts (e.g. <a href="https://cogsci.stackexchange.com/questions/151/is-procrastination-greater-when-skill-is-low-and-rewards-offer-low-status-boost">this question</a>).</p>

<p>However, one of the most cited sources cited as exposition of these concepts is a popular <a href="http://peopletriggers.wordpress.com/2010/04/22/the-status-transaction/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">book on improvisational theatre</a> rather than a research publication.</p>

<p>What body of research, if any, addresses these concepts more rigorously?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-24T17:57:42.113Z
Do you mean "status" as a sociological term?
Zelda
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-25T14:56:44.167Z
I mean "status" as used in the Impro book and elsewhere on the Web :)
Morendil
<social-psychology>
What research gives insight into the terms "low status" and "high status"?
Morendil
# What research gives insight into the terms "low status" and "high status"?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-01-24)

Folk explanations of human behaviour often refer to "high status" or "low status", and the phrase sometimes pops up in more formal contexts (e.g. [this question](https://cogsci.stackexchange.com/questions/151/is-procrastination-greater-when-skill-is-low-and-rewards-offer-low-status-boost)).

However, one of the most cited sources cited as exposition of these concepts is a popular [book on improvisational theatre](http://peopletriggers.wordpress.com/2010/04/22/the-status-transaction/) rather than a research publication.

What body of research, if any, addresses these concepts more rigorously?

**Tags:** social-psychology

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Do you mean "status" as a sociological term?  
> **username_0**: I mean "status" as used in the Impro book and elsewhere on the Web :)  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2012-01-24. Score: 2

This is a really broad question - what you seem to be asking is: what research addresses social hierarchies, competition, and neurological/psychological/physiological effects of perception of social status.

It's interesting to note that social status signals likely developed before language, as they are a means of non-verbal communication (language is quite new, evolutionarily-speaking).

In the most broad sense, the answer to your question is that research on social psychology and social neuroscience, particularly that related to hierarchy, dominance, and perception of social standing, is what you're looking for. This is the 'body of research'.

Past this point, I'm not sure what you're asking... Are you wondering in what brain structures this type of behavior appears to originate? Or are you more interested in the cognitive processing going on behind the scenes when people mentally alter their internalized social standing? Or are you looking for a jumping off point?

If you are particularly looking for the neural basis of this behavior, check out the links below. All relate to the neurological basis of social processing in the human brain.

---

Original answer:

I'm at work so I don't have a lot of time to put together a comprehensive answer, but here are some articles:

* [Perigenual anterior cingulate morphology covaries
  with perceived social standing](http://repository.cmu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1285&context=psychology)
* [Know Your Place: Neural Processing of Social Hierarchy in Humans](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2430590/)
* [The Cultural Neuroscience of Person Perception](http://www.jbfreeman.net/pubs/Freeman_PBR.pdf)
* [Using neuroimaging techniques to explore the relationship between social status and health](http://scan.oxfordjournals.org/content/2/3/159.full)
* [Neurobiological Correlates of Social Conformity and
  Independence During Mental Rotation](http://www.ccnl.emory.edu/greg/Berns%20Conformity%20final%20printed.pdf)
* [Neurobiological Pathways Linking Socioeconomic Position and Health](http://www.psychosomaticmedicine.org/content/72/5/450.abstract)

For the record, the Google search used to find these was `neural correlates of perceived social +status`

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: would you be able to expand on this answer to summarize the basic findings of these papers? Or their topics further than just title?  
> **username_2**: i went with altering the answer entirely for now; i'll get around to reading all of these eventually...  

---

