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Show SPRING 2013 Jenny Cundiff 162 SOCIAL HIERARCHY AND HEALTH Kolby Huking (Jenny Cundiff) Department of Psychology University of Utah Background It has been found that people in lower socioeconomic positions suffer a greater burden of death and disease compared to those with higher social standing. Though a portion of this relationship is attributable to differences in access to health care and health behaviors (e.g., smoking, physical activity), the inverse relationship between status and health remains after controlling for these factors. Methods In the current study, participants were brought into the lab, and received status information about another participant with w h o m they interacted. In order to control the personality of the subject's partner, w e used confederate recordings which displayed either a dominant or submissive interpersonal style during the discussion task. Hence multiple experiences associated with social status were manipulated: 1) relative status (higher or lower than confederate), 2) partner behavior (dominant or submissive). Results The data for this study will be gathered for another year, however from the data gathered thus far supports the hypothesis that stressful interactions in our daily life do affect our health. Conclusion At this point while the research is still accumulating a conclusion cannot be made. |