Me Versus Us: Concealing High Status Identities from Lower Status Peers

Scholars commonly portray status in terms of its manifold benefits and positive consequences. Given this, people may reveal high status identities whenever given the opportunity. However, the present studies provide evidence that when disclosing a high status identity elevates the self above one’s peers, people avoid disclosure. Across 3 experiments, we manipulated the status of a peer to be either similar to or lower than participants’ status, and then measured disclosure of a high status identity. In all 3 studies, we found that individuals are less likely to disclose a high status identity when interacting with a lower status peer, compared to a higher status peer. Study 1 demonstrates that lower disclosure reflects a desire to minimize threats to the self and others, avoid rejection, and preserve a sense of belonging. Study 2 shows that even when participants are not held accountable for disclosing a high status identity …