Mark van Vugt

Europe is grappling with significant challenges—declining fertility, work-life imbalances, and rising authoritarianism—each potentially rooted in a common psychological factor: status anxiety, or the fear of failing to meet societal standards of success and respect. This proposed research project aims to provide new insights into both the causes and consequences of status anxiety by investigating how modern ecological factors like economic uncertainty, social media, and urbanization amplify this anxiety and influence decisions related to reproduction, work and politics. Using a transdisciplinary approach, I will organize the research into four integrated subprojects: (1) measuring status anxiety’s impact on stress, health and fertility decisions; (2) assessing its socio-political consequences, such as shifts in leadership preferences; (3) identifying ecological and developmental triggers of status anxiety, including digital environments and existential threats; and (4) examining how individual differences, including gender and socioeconomic status, shape the experience and consequences of status anxiety. Ultimately, the proposed research aims to inform theory-grounded interventions to mitigate the psychological burdens of modern status competition and enhance societal resilience.