Agreement as a Function of Initial Choice and Stay Response Probabilities in Status Characteristics Research

Abstract

Expectation states theories of status processes have consistently shown that participation and influence patterns in groups are a function of differences in external status characteristics. A branch of this theoretical research program, Status Characteristics Theory (SCT) deals specifically with the processes by which external status characteristics come to determine the allocation of status positions within groups. The authors pose three arguments relevant to this program. First, agreement on thefinal choice is a much more likely outcome than disagreement in situations that meet most of the conditions of the standardized experimental setting, even when the probability of staying with one's own answer given disagreement is highfor group members. Second, agreement is yet more likely to be thefinal outcome in groups that are differentiated on some status characteristic that leads to differential likelihood of staying with one's own initial choice. Third, cooperative allocation of status position is more likely to occur in these groups than competitive position allocation.