ABSTRACT
Research, as well as casual observation, revealsthat status gradients quickly emerge in initially unstructured task groups. Some group members attain a superordinate position in terms of power and prestige; they talk more, have their ideas more readily accepted by others, and receive more
votes as “group leader” (e.g., Mullen, Salas, & Driskell, 1990). The theory of status characteristics and expectation states (Berger & Conner, 1969; Berger, Wagner, & Zelditch, 1985; Berger, Fisek, Norman, & Zelditch, 1977; Webster & Driskell, 1978) offers one perspective for analyzing the
development of such differentiation within small, task-oriented groups. In short, the theory argues that certain members of these groups are treated unequally because unequal performance expectations are held for them. This article reports the results of a meta-analytic examination of this central assumption of the theory.
