Social-rank cues: Decoding rank from physical characteristics, behaviors, and possessions

Inferring individuals' social rank-their position within a hierarchy-is central to many interactions. However, how do observers assess actors' social rank? The current article reviews three broad sources of social-rank cues: physical characteristics, behaviors, and possessions. First, observers infer an actor's social rank from ancestral stereotypes tethered to physical characteristics. Second, observers ascribe social rank to an actor from...