The Process of status evolution. [TR 33]

This TR reports results from 59 3-person discussion groups. Groups began with no induced status or expectation differentiation. About half showed participation inequality from the first 2-minute period and half developed inequality structures after some interaction. The initially differentiated group probably formed expectations through status generalization from salient status characteristics and the undifferentiated group probably formed expectations by the unit evaluation process during interaction. Besides its relevance for theories of expectations and status processes, the task forming the discussion—to come up with an interesting topic for subsequent groups to discuss (a “task task”)—is one of the best available for creating high task focus and collective orientation, as well as being interesting enough for college students to spend an extended period discussing it. The authors published this TR (1970).
[Abstract by Murray Webster, 2014.]
Published in Sociometry 33 (No. 3), September 1970, pp. 327-346.