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What is “Expectation states theory”?
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The Overview of “Expectation states theory”
What is Expectation states theory?
Expectation States Theory (EST) was proposed by Joseph Berger and colleagues, focusing on how status hierarchies form within small groups.
It examines how societal information, like gender, race, and specific abilities, influences these hierarchies.
What Are the Basic Concepts of Expectation States Theory?
EST explains how external status characteristics determine observable power and prestige in task-oriented groups, regardless of task relevance.
It shows how status characteristics cause unequal distribution of participation, influence, and prestige within groups.
The theory also applies to macro-level and group-level hierarchies and inequalities.
How Far Does Expectation States Theory Apply?
EST is commonly used to explain gender inequalities but is applicable to studying any social group.
It aims to describe how gender-related inequalities form in everyday social interactions.
What Are the Preconditions of Expectation States Theory?
The preconditions of EST include:
- Activation Assumption: Diffuse status characteristics become the basis for differentiation in task situations if relevant.
- Burden of Proof: If a diffuse status characteristic is activated but unrelated to task success, a consistent component will relate to task success.
- Assignment Assumption: Activated status characteristics consistently apply to self and others.
How Does Expectation States Theory Explain Inequality?
EST uniquely assumes that barriers to women’s advancement are due to gender status elements, not gender itself.
Inequality stems from fundamental evaluations of men and women’s abilities.
All status beliefs cause inequality, assuming higher status groups possess superior skills and resources.
It does not assume gender differences in leadership or success achievement abilities.
What Other Theories Relate to Expectation States Theory?
Related theories include Eagly’s Social Role Theory and Glick & Fiske’s Stereotype Content Theory, predicting gender-related inequalities are most evident in cooperative interdependent contexts.
How Do Status Beliefs Form?
Status beliefs arise from repeated interactions between different social group members.
When a group is perceived to have structural superiority, observed across multiple contexts, status beliefs form, leading to higher status group members having more power, authority, and influence.
How Do Status Beliefs Affect Gender?
According to EST, gender status beliefs assume men possess higher abilities and social status than women, resulting in men having more authority and influence in groups.
How Does Expectation States Theory Affect Daily Life?
EST influences gender and status hierarchies in formal institutions like workplaces and schools.
For instance, women’s expertise might be undervalued due to negative gender attributions, reducing their influence.
What Is the Role of Expectation States Theory in Culture?
Cultural stereotypes and status beliefs form the basis of EST.
Thus, culture influences the formation of status hierarchies and beliefs.
Application of Expectation States Theory in Marketing
EST plays a crucial role in marketing by understanding consumer behavior and preferences based on gender and status.
Analyzing how specific products are evaluated by different groups optimizes targeting.
Advertising campaigns can be tailored to resonate more by considering gender and status-based expectations.
EST is a powerful tool in social psychology for explaining inequalities in various contexts.
Understanding and applying this theory can help in striving for a fairer society.
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article “Expectation states theory” which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 4.0. Additionally, the texts and images were generated using ChatGPT.