Effects of Second-Order Expectations on Group Structure and Behavior

University Of North Carolina At Charlotte, Charlotte NC

Investigators

Abstract

This project develops and conducts a theoretical and experimental program to extend existing theories of status generalization to include effects of "second order expectations," imputations of one's ability received from one's partner in a task-focused group. Two sequential experiments, both of them variations of a standard laboratory situation, will be conducted. The first will assess our theoretical statement and will compare it to alternatives. The second will refine the theory's mechanisms for representing second order information. The results should show an effect of the partner's opinion on one's own beliefs and behaviors. The general result of this work will be an extension of status characteristics theory to incorporate a new class of types of situations and behaviors, those involving information from the partner about oneself. Understanding the import of other's views of our abilities will lead to a better comprehension of the process underlying cooperative task groups. This research tradition, status characteristics theory, will also be related to a set of other social science traditions.