Those low in status need stronger signals to compensate for low-status cues

Evidence

Cues can either bolster or betray signals, making them valuable to appraisers looking for a glimpse into the “real” individual. Beck took up a weirdo slacker persona for his debut album but, over time, cues from his behavior and musical prowess cast further doubts on the authenticity of his sui generis leaf-blower origin story. Beck makes more sense as not just the grandson of an avant-garde artist, but as the son of David Campbell, a legendary music producer and arranger who worked on 450 gold and platinum albums. The interplay between signals and cues has critical implications for our behavior. The status-advantaged can often signal status with their cues alone, lessening the need to signal. The status-disadvantaged need more valuable signals to override their low-status cues. The philosopher Simone de Beauvoir believed women dressed up more than men because a man could rely on his profession for status claims, while “the woman who is deprived of doing anything feels that she expresses what she is” through adornment. — W. David Marx, Status and Culture, 202

Categorization

• XREF: De Beauvoir on adornment-as-self-expression connects to the ‘Complaints About Immodesty’ piece on dress as identity signaling. — connects to: Status signaling is only necessary under information asymmetry with strangers. — W. David Marx, Status and Culture: How Our Desire for…, 197; Direct status claims are self-defeating because eager signaling signals low status — W. David Marx, Status and Culture: How Our Desire for…, 198; Hard-to-fake cues reveal status more reliably than purchasable signals can — W. David Marx, Status and Culture: How Our Desire for…, 201 (+6 more)

Broader Connections

• Attracting and commanding attention signals significance and quality in status systems. #expands (0.75) — Alice E. Marwick, Status Update, 230
• Louder signals need disproportionately more dB to double perceived loudness #qualifies (0.73) — Ville Pulkki, Matti Karjalainen, Communication Acoustics- An…, 1132
• Status symbols create a tradeoff between exclusivity and legibility to outsiders #qualifies (0.72) — W. David Marx, Status and Culture, 224