Two ways to the top: Evidence that dominance and prestige are distinct yet viable avenues to social rank and influence.

The pursuit of social rank is a recurrent and pervasive challenge faced by individuals in all human societies. Yet, the precise means through which individuals compete for social standing remains unclear. In 2 studies, we investigated the impact of 2 fundamental strategies-Dominance (the use of force and intimidation to induce fear) and Prestige (the sharing of expertise or know-how to gain respect)-on the attainment of social rank, which we conceptualized as the acquisition of (a) perceived influence over others (Study 1), (b) actual influence over others' behaviors (Study 1), and (c) others' visual attention (Study 2). Study 1 examined the process of hierarchy formation among a group of previously…

• CI
  Canadian Institute for Advanced Research
• MS
  Michael Smith Health Research BC

  Award: CI-SCH-01862(07-1)
• CI
  Canadian Institutes of Health Research