Hierarchy, Dominance, and Deliberation: Egalitarian Values Require Mental Effort
Laura Van Berkel1, Christian S Crandall2, Scott Eidelman3
1University of Kansas, Lawrence, USA vanberkel@ku.edu.
Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin
|July 3, 2015
Summary
Social hierarchy may persist because it is psychologically easier to endorse than egalitarianism. Impairing deliberate thought consistently increased support for hierarchy and decreased support for equality.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Cognitive Science
- Behavioral Economics
Background:
- Social hierarchy and dominance are pervasive in human societies.
- Hierarchical values are often learned early and reinforced, making them psychologically accessible.
- Egalitarian values can compete with hierarchical ones, but their endorsement may require more cognitive effort.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the psychological underpinnings of hierarchy endorsement versus egalitarianism.
- To examine how interfering with deliberate thinking impacts preferences for social hierarchy.
- To determine if reduced cognitive capacity favors hierarchical structures over egalitarian ones.
Main Methods:
- Six studies were conducted, manipulating deliberate thought processes.
- Methods included measuring blood alcohol content, imposing cognitive load, and inducing ego depletion.
- Participants' endorsement of hierarchy and egalitarianism was measured under various conditions.
Main Results:
- Impaired deliberative thought consistently increased endorsement of hierarchy.
- Reduced cognitive effort led to a decrease in the endorsement of equality.
- Specific findings showed alcohol, cognitive load, ego depletion, and low-effort thinking all favored hierarchy.
Conclusions:
- Hierarchy may persist due to a psychological advantage conferred by reduced cognitive demands.
- Interfering with deliberate thinking strengthens hierarchical attitudes and weakens egalitarian ones.
- These findings suggest that the ease of processing hierarchical structures contributes to their prevalence.
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