Privileged origins taint perceived authenticity

Abstract

Although individuals have no control over what they are endowed with at birth, those from privileged origins, such as being born into wealth, are often viewed negatively. This article examines how information about an individual's privilege at birth influences assessments of their authenticity and what they create. We theorize that a privileged origin dilutes the connection between an individual and their creation by introducing attributional ambiguity as to whether the creation is a true reflection of the individual or due to the advantages from the privilege. This diluted connection lowers the individual's perceived authenticity and assessments of the creation. Across Studies 1 and 2, we find individuals born with high privilege, in the form of either wealth or beauty, are seen as less authentic than those born with low or moderate privilege, which decreases evaluations of what they create. Study 3 tested the attributional process underlying these decreased evaluations, finding that high privilege decreases attributions of the creation to the individual, lowering the individual's perceived authenticity. Study 4 showed that these effects persisted even when the high-privilege individual acknowledged their privilege. Study 5 revealed that these effects attenuate when the high-privilege individual possesses mixed privilege (i.e., high wealth but low beauty or low wealth but high beauty). These findings highlight the reputational challenge faced by individuals born into privilege and offer theoretical insight into the negative authenticity judgments associated with privileged origins.