title: Competence and the Evolutionary Origins of Status and Power in Humans.
abstract: In this paper I propose an evolutionary model of human status that expands upon an earlier model proposed by Henrich and Gil-White Evolution and Human Behavior, 22,165-196 (2001). According to their model, there are two systems of status attainment in humans-"two ways to the top": the dominance route, which involves physical intimidation, a psychology of fear and hubristic pride, and provides coercive power, and the prestige route, which involves skills and knowledge (competence), a psychology of attraction to experts and authentic pride, and translates mainly into influence. The two systems would have evolved in response to different selective pressures, with attraction to experts serving a social learning function and coinciding with the evolution of cumulative culture. In this paper I argue that (1) the only one way to the top is competence because dominance itself involves competence and confers prestige, so there is no such thing as pure dominance status; (2) dominance in primates has two components: a competitive one involving physical coercion and a cooperative one involving competence-based attraction to high-ranking individuals (proto-prestige); (3) competence grants the same general type of power (dependence-based) in humans and other primates; (4) the attractiveness of high rank in primates is homologous with the admiration of experts in humans; (5) upon the evolution of cumulative culture, the attractiveness of high rank was co-opted to generate status differentials in a vast number of culturally generated domains of activity. I also discuss, in this perspective, the origins of hubristic pride, authentic pride, and nonauthoritarian leadership.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology, University of Montreal, CP. 6128, Succursale Centre-ville, Montreal, QC, Canada, H3C 3J7, Bernard.chapais@umontreal.ca.
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chapais
mesh_terms: D005075:Biological Evolution; D005239:Fear; D006801:Humans; D019359:Knowledge; D007857:Leadership; D011209:Power, Psychological; D012919:Social Behavior; D012923:Social Class; D012930:Social Dominance