Two routes toward compensation: An investigation into the mechanisms of compensation for high- and low-status groups

In two experiments, we tested an account of compensation in intergroup perceptions as the manifestation of social creativity and magnanimity strategies for low- and high-status groups, respectively. For low-status groups, compensation would be a way to enhance self-esteem after a negative comparison. In contrast, for high-status groups, compensation would provide a means to appear non-discriminatory, in accordance with contemporary norms. Experiment 1 manipulated participants' need to protect their self-esteem by giving them or not giving them an opportunity to self-affirm. As predicted, this self-affirmation manipulation only affected low-status group members. Specifically, the ability to self-affirm protected their self-esteem from an upward comparison and precluded the emergence of compensation. Experiment 2 manipulated the pressures toward non-discrimination by activating a non-discrimination vs. an honesty norm. As expected, this norm manipulation only affected high-status group members. Compared to the non-discrimination norm, the honesty norm decreased the perceived pressures toward non-discrimination and paved the way to ingroup favoritism on both dimensions rather than compensation. We discuss the role and complementarity of these two routes in producing the compensation pattern.