Stereotypes and social decisions: The interpersonal consequences of socioeconomic status.

Perceptions of socioeconomic status (SES) can perpetuate inequality by influencing interpersonal interactions in ways that disadvantage people with low SES. Indeed, lab studies have provided evidence that people can detect others' SES and that they may use this information to apply stereotypes that influence interpersonal decisions. Here, we examine how SES and SES-based stereotypes affect real-world social interactions between people from a socioeconomically diverse population.

Is perceived similarity more than assumed similarity? An interpersonal path to seeing similarity between self and others.

People perceive similarity between their own personality characteristics and the personality characteristics of others. This association has sometimes been labeled "assumed similarity," reflecting the interpretation that it is a cognitive bias. Another possibility, however, is an interpersonal path to perceived similarity: personality traits that are manifested in behavior may elicit similar or dissimilar behavior from others, and people form perceptions based on what they have elicited.