Stereotypes and Social Decisions: The Interpersonal Consequences of Socioeconomic Status

Perceptions of socioeconomic status (SES) can perpetuate inequality by influencing interpersonal interactions in ways that disadvantage people with low SES. Indeed, lab studies have provided evidence that people can detect others' SES and that they may use this information to apply stereotypes that influence interpersonal decisions. Here, we examine how SES and SES-based stereotypes affect real-world social interactions between people from a socioeconomically diverse population. We used the computer-mediated online round-robin method to facilitate interactions among 297 participants from across the U.S. Participants completed a series of dyadic interactions with other participants in virtual rooms in which they discussed a recent negative consumer experience. After each interaction, they judged the interaction partner's SES, personality traits, and credibility of their consumer experience. Results showed that people perceived SES with moderate accuracy in the interactions, which elicited negative interpersonal stereotypes of low-SES individuals for all 12 of the personality traits measured. People also preferred to affiliate with others with high SES, had more sympathy for them, and found their experiences more credible. SES-based interpersonal stereotypes about personality traits mediated these associations. The perception of SES in real-time interactions thus appears to activate stereotypes that guide social judgments, supporting the hypothesis that interpersonal effects contribute to economic inequality.