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Is self-regard a sociometer or a hierometer? Self-esteem tracks status and inclusion, narcissism tracks status.
Open accessAbstract
What adaptive function does self-regard serve? Sociometer theory predicts that it positively tracks social inclusion. A new theory, hierometer theory, predicts that it positively tracks social status. We tested both predictions with respect to two types of self-regard: self-esteem and narcissism. Study 1 (N = 940), featuring a cross-sectional design, found that both status and inclusion covaried positively with self-esteem, but that status alone covaried positively with narcissism. These links held independently of gender, age, and the Big Five personality traits. Study 2 (N = 627), a preregistered cross-sectional study, obtained similar results with alternative measures of self-esteem and narcissism. Studies 3-4 featured experimental designs in which status and inclusion were orthogonally manipulated. Study 3 (N = 104) found that both higher status and higher inclusion promoted higher self-esteem, whereas only higher status promoted higher narcissism. Study 4 (N = 259) obtained similar results with alternative measures of self-esteem and narcissism. The findings suggest that self-esteem operates as both sociometer and hierometer, positively tracking both status and inclusion, whereas narcissism operates primarily as a hierometer, positively tracking status. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
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Metadata
- Authors
- Mahadevan, N., Gregg, A. P., & Sedikides, C.
- Affiliations
- University of Southampton (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Mahadevan, Nikhila
- Venue
- Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
- Published
- 2019-03
- Volume
- 116
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 444-466
- ISSN
- 0022-3514 (ISSN-L)
- 1939-1315
- OpenAlex
- W2796264952
- Cited by
- 158
- References
- 118
- Citations by year
- 2026: 16 · 2025: 21 · 2024: 22 · 2023: 20 · 2022: 23 · 2021: 17 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 11
- FWCI
- 15.77
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- doi.org
- Locations
- Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Open Access at Essex (University of Essex) (acceptedVersion)
- ePrints Soton (University of Southampton) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Traits and Psychology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social Power and Status Dynamics
- Keywords
- self-esteem, narcissism, sociometer theory, social status, social inclusion, self-regard
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Humans, Male, Narcissism, Psychological Theory, Psychology, Social, Self Concept, Social Class, Psychological Distance, Young Adult
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