Power and Prejudice: How Sense of Power Shapes Obesity Stereotypes

Stereotyping and discrimination against individuals with overweight and obesity represent some of the most pervasive forms of prejudice. Across five studies (N = 1,131), we investigated whether sense of power contribute to increased social distance, thereby increasing negative stereotypes of obese individuals. Results revealed that individuals with a higher sense of power were more likely to exhibit more negative obesity stereotypes, regardless of whether sense of power was assessed as a measured construct (Study 1 and 3) or experimentally manipulated via a word-search task (Study 2a) or a recall task (Study 2b and 4). Moreover, social distance emerged as a key mechanism mediating the relationship between sense of power and obesity stereotypes (Study 3 and 4). By examining both explicit and implicit obesity stereotypes, this research offered a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the psychological processes underlying these effects. Taken together, our findings highlighted the significant interpersonal consequences of sense of power and underscored the crucial role of social distance in shaping obesity stereotypes.