Male–Male Status Signaling through Favoring Organic Foods: Is the Signaler Perceived and Treated as a Friend or a Foe?

Even though consumers' status signaling is a heavily researched topic, empirical contributions from two important research areasthe mundane food context and prosocial status signaling between male consumersto signaling literature are still scarce. Thus, this study empirically investigates how a male signaling about his status through favoring organic foods is perceived and treated by other males in two different sociocultural settings (urban vs. rural). In an urban areabut not in a ruralthe pro-organic signaler was perceived as more respected, altruistic, and affluent than a male who did not signal about this (he also received statistically more money in a charity donation task). This may indicate that signaling about this tendencybecause it can be viewed as use of one's own resources for the benefit of othersis not only a way to attain status, but can also make others behave more positively toward the signaler.