title: The hierarchical face: higher rankings lead to less cooperative looks.
abstract: In 3 studies, we tested the hypothesis that the higher ranked an individual's group is, the less cooperative the facial expression of that person is judged to be. Study 1 established this effect among business school deans, with observers rating individuals from higher ranked schools as appearing less cooperative, despite lacking prior knowledge of the latters' actual rankings. Study 2 then experimentally manipulated ranking, showing that the effect of rankings on facial expressions is driven by context rather than by individual differences per se. Finally, Study 3 demonstrated that the repercussions of this effect extend beyond the perception of cooperativeness to tangible behavioral outcomes in social interactions. Theoretical and practical implications of this phenomenon are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. patchen@umich.edu
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Christopher G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Myers
authors.forename: Shirli
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kopelman
authors.forename: Stephen M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Garcia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D005149:Facial Expression; D006608:Hierarchy, Social; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012938:Social Perception; D055815:Young Adult