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Legitimization and delegitimization of social hierarchy

Baryla, W., Wojciszke, B., Cichocka, Aleksandra (2015) Legitimization and delegitimization of social hierarchy. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 6 (6). pp. 669-676. ISSN 1948-5506. E-ISSN 1948-5514. (doi:10.1177/1948550615576211) (KAR id:48354)

Abstract

Although status and wealth are related facets of social stratification, their association is only moderate. In this article, we

demonstrate that justification of wealth versus status can be independent processes. To this end, we introduce a novel, nondeclarative

measure of system justification. The measure is based on within-individual correlations between the judgments of how

a group ‘‘is doing’’ and how it ‘‘should be doing.’’ Two studies demonstrated that the between-group differentiation in terms of

material wealth was delegitimized—the more a group was perceived as wealthy, the less it was desired to be wealthy. However,

the between-group differentiation in terms of status was generally legitimized—the more a group was perceived as influential, the

more it was desired to be influential. We conclude by discussing the role of sociopolitical context in active legitimization and

delegitimization of different aspects of the system.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1177/1948550615576211
Uncontrolled keywords: system justification, delegitimization, status, wealth
Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Human and Social Sciences > School of Psychology
Depositing User: Aleksandra Cichocka
Date Deposited: 09 May 2015 20:06 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Feb 2021 13:24 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/48354 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Cichocka, Aleksandra.

Creator's ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1703-1586
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