High-status groups tend to downplay conflict with lower-status groups to maintain their position. This was shown in three studies where high-status groups minimized conflict with outgroups, especially when the status difference was unstable and the outgroup's actions were seen as illegitimate. High-status group members also communicated in ways to reduce conflict. Survey data from industrial settings supported this, with managers seeing less conflict than workers in the same companies. In summary, high-status groups use downplaying conflict as a way to keep their status over lower-status groups.