Dimensions of human hierarchy as determinants of health and happiness

Abstract

No matter what rung someone holds on the social ladder, they are likely to experience better health and happiness than those below them in the hierarchy and poorer health and happiness than those above. Social gradients have been found for cardiovascular, respiratory, rheumatoid, and psychiatric disease as well as mortality from all causes. These findings are often mediated by subjective social status, defined as a person's perceptions of their place in the social structure. Social gradients have also been found for happiness, which seems to be affected by sociometric status (i.e. being respected by others) more than by socioeconomic status (e.g. income). I conclude by considering the extent to which social hierarchies scaffold the fulfillment of people's basic psychological needs.