The Development of Shared Stereotypic Impressions in Conversation

Abstract

The authors’ research over the past 10 years has examined how dyads work together to find a common ground understanding through which to develop a shared impression. This article begins by examining the extant motivations underlying such efforts and presents a model of why and under what conditions shared stereotypic impressions develop. The article then turns to the mechanisms through which these shared stereotypic impressions develop through conversation, with a particular eye to the relation between dyads’ language choices and their resulting impressions. Finally, the article addresses a serious limitation of the authors’ work, namely, the authors’ primary focus on dyads comprising individuals who share a common group identity such as gender or ethnicity. Working within their model framework, the authors discuss the unique challenges of shared impression formation facing dyads who comprise individuals from dissimilar groups.