APA Dictionary of Psychology

status incongruence

Updated on 11/15/2023

a mismatch between related status dimensions, such as between a person’s socioeconomic level and educational background.
a perceived mismatch between a person’s characteristics and their role in a particular context. For example, a very young supervisor creates status incongruence in the supervisor–worker dyad by reversing the traditional assumption that managers are older and more experienced than employees.
unjust inconsistency in the allocation of status in a group, organization, or society, resulting from biased appraisals of the accomplishments of members of stigmatized groups.

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