Strategic Impression Management: Responding to Compliments

Abstract Humans possess evolved cognitive abilities to manage their social reputations and alliances. When navigating these reputations and alliances, women in particular may be more sensitive to social evaluation along some dimensions. Indeed, girls and women perceived as superior, competitive, or striving are often targeted for intrasexual aggression. Moreover, girls and women seem aware this and often act in ways that would preclude such social penalties (e.g. downplaying themselves) (Benenson, 2013, 2019; Cardador, et al., 2021; Maltz Sebanc et al., 2003; Simmons, 2002). Across two studies with undergraduate students from a Midwestern university (N=1,343), we examined women’s awareness of these dynamics by examining how men and women view targets receiving compliments (Study 1) and how men and women intend to respond to compliments from same-sex others along with their expectations of how they would be perceived based on those responses (Study 2). Study 1 revealed that women (vs. men) judged same-sex others more harshly for immodest responses, perceiving immodestly responding same-sex others as more arrogant, colder, and more unfriendly. Study 2 revealed that women (vs. men) are also aware of these expectations perhaps strategically preferring modest responses to compliments to preclude other women’s negative perceptions of them. Findings have implications for understanding women’s sociality as well as hurdles that women might face in environments where self-promotion is beneficial (e.g., workplaces, academia).