Date of Award
Spring 5-14-2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (M.S.)
Department
Psychology
Language
English
First Advisor
Aaron Kozbelt
Abstract
Strong social relationships have consistently emerged as predictors of well-being in the psychological literature. However, research has not distinguished between the intrinsic social value derived from these relationships and the status derived from them. We constructed the novel Relationship Orientation Scale to explore this gap, utilizing binary decision-making scenarios in which individuals were forced to pit these two goods against one another. Across two studies, we found that individuals displayed a significant, but by no means universal, preference for intrinsically rewarding social relationships. We found, also, that social media use and comparison orientation were negative predictors of relationship orientation, whereas agreeableness was a positive predictor. Notably, exploratory analyses revealed no association between relationship orientation and flourishing.
Recommended Citation
Dratfield, Jonah M., "The Greater Good?: Tradeoffs Between Social Connection and Status in Decision-Making Scenarios" (2026). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/bc_etds/11
