Perceived intergroup threat and the status-dominance relationship

High-status group members have been shown to adopt dominance-oriented cognitions and behaviors as a means of rationalizing or reinforcing their dominant position, but little research has investigated the boundary conditions of this phenomenon. In the present article, the authors suggest that perceived intergroup threat may moderate the relationship between status and social dominance orientation (SDO), at least among highly-identified group members. To test this hypothesis experimentally, university students were threatened by a rival institution (Study 1), and Democrats and Republicans were threatened by exposure to a leading Presidential candidate from the opposing political party (Study 2). Results provided support for the notion that high group status produces dominance under conditions of intergroup threat. The implications of these findings for research on status and threat are discussed, as are their potential applications to organizational settings.