Status and the Motivational Foundations of Self‐Monitoring

Abstract Based on their quantitative review of the self‐monitoring literature, Gangestad and Snyder (2000, Psychological Bulletin , 126, 530–555) proposed that the self‐presentational behavior of high self‐monitors is designed to cultivate status within perceived hierarchical social structures. They suggest that high self‐monitors may be more concerned with addressing status within unequal‐status relationships, whereas low self‐monitors may be more concerned with establishing equal‐status relationships based on trust and genuineness. In this article, we address these proposed motivations by examining relevant self‐monitoring literature that pertains to desire for status, perceptions of and responsivity to status, and the cultivation of status. In addition to discussing the implications of status for high self‐monitors, we also consider the proposed desires of low self‐monitors for equality and sincerity.