Dominance and Collective Hierarchy Formation in Male and Female Task Groups

Abstract

To clarify the impact of dominance behavior on status in task groups, the formation of status hierarchies must be viewed as the collective product of joint interaction among the entire network of group members rather than as an aggregate of independent dyadic encounters. A network-collective analysis indicates that the impact of a dyadic dominance contest on status depends critically on the reaction of group members who are bystanders to it. Structural conditions induced by the group's task encourage bystanders to intervene against members who claim status by dominance behavior, limiting its role in status allocation. In an experiment with four-person same-sex decision groups, two bystanders intervened to attack the dominance behavior of another confederate. Moreover, the dominant confederate was disliked and was no more influential in the group than a neutral confederate. These results held for both male and female groups, although levels of dominance behavior were higher in male groups.