How Children Perceive Relative Social Status (RSS): Why They Think People Are Rich/Poor, Whom They Think Are Rich/Poor, and How That Affects Their Social Preferences

Unlike previous research on children’s own SES, this study examined children’s perceptions of others’ RSS among 109 children (7-10 years). Participants made individualistic attributions when explaining both high and low status, associated images of White children with higher status, and preferred higher-status children for friendship and schoolwork but not playmates.