Keeping up 外見s: Scientists say we are 'hard-wired' to care about social status

By David Derbyshire for MailOnline
Updated:

There is a Hyacinth Bucket inside every one of us, it see ms - and she is lurking somewhere in the 前線 of our brains.

Scientists have 設立する that we are hard-wired to care about social status.

There is a particular zone in the brain which 'lights up' when we are asked to think about a person's class, or when we are 直面するd with someone higher in the つつく／ペックing order.

Keeping up Appearances

Snob: Hyacinth with long-苦しむing husband Richard

While most will not take social climbing as 本気で as Mrs Bucket ( pronounced Bouquet) from the BBC's Keeping Up 外見s, we are born to worry about it.

The teams who 熟考する／考慮するd the zone believe it will shed light on why social standing has such an 衝撃 on behaviour and health - and why it is just as important to us as money.

The 関係 between social 階級 and health has already been 公式文書，認めるd. A 熟考する／考慮する of civil servants 設立する that as their position in the office rose their chances of developing heart 病気 and dying 早期に fell.

The 最新の results come from two 熟考する／考慮するs 報告（する）／憶測d in the 定期刊行物 Neuron.

Scientists used 機能の 磁石の resonance imaging to ざっと目を通す the activity in 支配するs' brains.

The first team, at the 国家の 学校／設ける of Mental Health in Bethesda, Maryland, created 人工的な social つつく／ペックing orders.

Each of 72 volunteers was told they were playing a game with two other 関係者s, one of whom was more 技術d and the other いっそう少なく.

Just 見解（をとる）ing a player 階級d as ' superior' 活動させる／戦時編成するd a 地域 at the 前線 of the brain that appeared to specialise in sizing others up and 査定する／（税金などを）課すing social status.

In the second 熟考する／考慮する, Japanese 研究員s scanned brains of volunteers either winning money at a card game, or when they believed their personality was 存在 査定する／（税金などを）課すd by strangers.

The scientists 設立する the same part of the brain lit up when people won money at cards as when they were 階級d as having a good 評判.

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