USING RATIO METHODS OF PSYCHOPHYSICS, THE INVESTIGATOR STUDIED LOCAL AND PROFESSIONAL STATUS SYSTEMS OF TWO PHYSICS DEPARTMENTS. TO CLARIFY THE NATURE OF AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LOCAL AND PROFESSIONAL STATUS, AND, IN TURN, THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO INFLUENCE AND SALARY, RELEVANT DATA WERE COLLECTED FROM PROFESSORS AND GRADUATE STUDENTS THROUGH PERSONAL INTERVIEWS. THE RESPONDENT EXCHANGE THEORY OF STATUS, WHICH IS BASED ON A PROPORTIONAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STATUS AND INCOME, WAS THE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK WHICH PROVIDED THE RATIONALE FOR THE STUDY. POOLED ESTIMATES MADE BY THE PROFESSORS THEMSELVES INDICATED THAT THE AMOUNT OF INFLUENCE A PROFESSOR HAS WILL INCREASE AS A POWER FUNCTION OF THE AMOUNT OF LOCAL STATUS HE HAS IN THE DEPARTMENT. IN ADDITION, THE AMOUNT OF SALARY A PROFESSOR RECEIVED VARIED APPROXIMATELY AS A SQUARE ROOT FUNCTION OF HIS LOCAL STATUS. BOTH LOCAL AND PROFESSIONAL STATUS APPEARED TO BE DETERMINED BY A SET OF VARIABLES. IN GENERAL, THE RESULTS SUPPORTED THE RESPONDENT EXCHANGE THEORY OF STATUS. (GD)