Ascribed and achieved characteristics influence individuals’ positions in a social hierarchy. I explore how status characteristics and status ideologies influence expectations about economic opportunities in the United Arab Emirates, a wealthy, highly diverse, and internationally stratified society where beliefs in meritocracy are nationally supported. In Studies 1 and 2, participants reported the extent to which they perceived various characteristics to influence an individual’s salary. Participants whose nationality placed them higher in the economic hierarchy expected achieved markers of status to play a larger role than ascribed markers in determining pay. Across groups, the more participants believed in meritocracy, the more they expected achieved markers to play a role. In Study 3, participants predicted the economic success of individuals who varied in ascribed and achieved characteristics. Across participant groups, both ascribed and achieved characteristics were expected to influence an individual’s economic success. Taken together, results suggested that both ascribed and achieved characteristics are expected to influence an individual’s position in the socioeconomic hierarchy, but only differences rooted in achieved characteristics are legitimized. Group differences and implications for system stability are discussed.

归因和获得的特征会影响个人在社会等级中的位置。我探讨了地位特征和地位意识形态如何影响阿拉伯联合酋长国对经济机会的预期，阿拉伯联合酋长国是一个富裕、高度多样化和国际分层的社会，国家支持精英统治的信仰。在研究 1 和 2 中，参与者报告了他们认为影响个人工资的各种特征的程度。其国籍使他们在经济等级中处于较高地位的参与者预期获得的地位标志在决定薪酬方面发挥比归属标志更大的作用。在各个群体中，越多的参与者相信任人唯贤，他们就越期望达到的指标发挥作用。在研究 3 中，参与者预测了具有不同归因和实现特征的个人的经济成功。在参与者群体中，归因和实现的特征都预计会影响个人的经济成功。综上所述，结果表明，归因和实现的特征都会影响个人在社会经济等级中的位置，但只有植根于实现特征的差异才合法化。讨论了群体差异和对系统稳定性的影响。结果表明，归因和获得的特征都会影响个人在社会经济等级中的位置，但只有植根于获得的特征的差异才是合法的。讨论了群体差异和对系统稳定性的影响。结果表明，归因和获得的特征都会影响个人在社会经济等级中的位置，但只有植根于获得的特征的差异才是合法的。讨论了群体差异和对系统稳定性的影响。