title: The merit of meritocracy.
abstract: We argue that the preference for the merit principle is a separate construct from hierarchy-legitimizing ideologies (i.e., system justification beliefs, prejudice, social dominance orientation), including descriptive beliefs that meritocracy currently exists in society. Moreover, we hypothesized that prescriptive beliefs about merit should have a stronger influence on reactions to the status quo when hierarchy-legitimizing ideologies are weak (vs. strong). In 4 studies, participants' preference for the merit principle and hierarchy-legitimizing ideologies were assessed; later, the participants evaluated organizational selection practices that support or challenge the status quo. Participants' prescriptive and descriptive beliefs about merit were separate constructs; only the latter predicted other hierarchy-legitimizing ideologies. In addition, as hypothesized, among participants who weakly endorsed hierarchy-legitimizing ideologies, the stronger their preference for the merit principle, the more they opposed selection practices that were perceived to be merit violating but the more they supported practices that were perceived to be merit restoring. In contrast, those who strongly endorsed hierarchy-legitimizing ideologies were always motivated to support the status quo, regardless of their preference for the merit principle.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada. sonhing@uoguelph.ca
authors.forename: Leanne S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Son Hing
authors.forename: D Ramona
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Bobocel
authors.forename: Mark P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Zanna
authors.forename: Donna M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.forename: Stephanie S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Gee
authors.forename: Katie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Orazietti
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001318:Authoritarianism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D011057:Politics; D011287:Prejudice; D012930:Social Dominance; D012935:Social Justice / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult