Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 25, 2026

Applying an eMASS Customization Program as a Research Tool to Evaluate Consumer Benefits
Published on: September 27, 2019
The status-legitimacy hypothesis revisited: Ethnic-group differences in general and dimension-specific legitimacy
Nikhil K Sengupta1, Danny Osborne1, Chris G Sibley1
1School of Psychology, The University of Auckland, New Zealand.
Abstract:
The status-legitimacy hypothesis, which predicts that low-status groups will legitimize inequality more than high-status groups, has received inconsistent empirical support. To resolve this inconsistency, we hypothesized that low-status groups would display enhanced legitimation only when evaluating the fairness of the specific hierarchy responsible for their disadvantage. In a New Zealand-based probability sample (N = 6,162), we found that low-status ethnic groups (Asians and Pacific Islanders) perceived ethnic-group relations to be fairer than the high-status group (Europeans). However, these groups did not justify the overall political system more than the high-status group. In fact, Māori showed the least support for the political system. These findings clarify when the controversial status-legitimacy effects predicted by System Justification Theory will - and will not - emerge.
More Related Videos
11:13The Social Dimension of Stress: Experimental Manipulations of Social Support and Social Identity in the Trier Social Stress Test
Published on: November 19, 2015
06:42Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation of the Posterior Medial Frontal Cortex to Experimentally Reduce Ideological Threat Responses
Published on: September 28, 2018
Related Concept Videos
Sources of Self-Esteem III: Social Comparison
Social Proof
Ethnic Identity within a Larger Culture
Self-Esteem and Culture
Implicit Personality Theories
Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination