Status Expectation States Theory

Key Concepts Key Conditions Of The Theory Collective Orientation Status Structures: Patterned inequalities of respect, deference, and influence among a group of people Key Conditions Of The Theory Collective Orientation Task Orientation Reality TV Show Teams • Student Project Groups Student Organizations • Office Committees Advisory Panels • Sports Teams • Juries

Key Concepts Status Characteristics are attributes on which we vary that yield esteem. They have Status Value They must be Salient They are born in Interactional Encounters They are either Specific or Diffuse They lead to (Consensual) Performance Expectations They require a Burden of Proof because of Status Generalization - Provide a contrast among group members - Perceived to be relevant to task - Specific: Obviously connected to the task at hand. We eventually learn them. - Diffuse: Not directly related to the task at hand, but we use them (immediately) to figure out who can get the job done. - Attenuation : Learning new info that meets our expectations doesn’t change them much. - Inconsistency : Learning new info that counters our expectations doesn’t change our general expectations.