NCJ Number
45875
Journal
SOCIOMETRY Volume: 39 Issue: 2 Dated: (JUNE 1976) Pages: 108-116
Date Published
1976
Length
8 pages
Annotation
FOLLOWING A DISCUSSION OF THE SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS OF DEVIANT IDENTITY IMPUTATION, THE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL POWER MANIPULATIONS OF IDENTITIES ON NORMATIVE PATTERNS OF INTERPERSONAL EXCHANGE WERE ASSESSED.
Abstract
IT IS ASSUMED THAT PRESTIGE AUGMENTING (CREDITIZING) AND PRESTIGE DEBASING (STIGMATIZING) LABELS MODIFY THE BALANCE OF POWER IN INTERPERSONAL SITUATIONS, SUCH THAT THE PERCEIVED IDENTITY GENERATES ANTICIPATIONS OF GENERIC ABILITIES AND PRODUCES BEHAVIOR GRANTING OR DENYING CONTROL TO THE OTHER. IT IS HYPOTHESIZED THAT INTERACTION WITH A STIGMATIZED OTHER WILL RESULT IN THE USE OF COMMUNICATORY SANCTIONS AND REINFORCEMENTS BY THE ACTOR: THESE INCLUDE HIGHER OVERALL RESPONSE RATES, MORE FAILURES TO SEQUENCE CONVERSATION, MORE INSTRUMENTAL RESPONSES, FEWER AGREEMENTS, AND FEWER QUESTIONS. TO TEST THIS HYPOTHESIS, 140 MALE VOLUNTEERS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO DYADIC DISCUSSION TEAMS WITH THE TASK OF DEVELOPING SETS OF ARGUMENTS FOR AND AGAINST THE LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA. EACH SUBJECT WAS PRESENTED WITH A STANDARDIZED INFORMATION SHEET PURPORTEDLY DESCRIBING HIS PARTNER AS BEING OF HIGH INTELLECTUAL COMPETENCE (CREDITIZED), HAVING A HISTORY OF MENTAL ILLNESS AND PERSONAL PROBLEMS (STIGMATIZED), OR BEING OF NORMAL INTELLIGENCE, INTERESTS, AND ADJUSTMENT (NORMAL). EACH DYAD CONSISTED OF ONE IMPUTED NORMAL AND ONE CREDITIZED OR STIGMATIZED INDIVIDUAL. DYADIC INTERACTIONS DURING DISCUSSION WERE VIDEOTAPED, AND VIDEOTAPES WERE ANALYZED BY THE EXPERIMENTOR AND BY AN INDEPENDENT JUDGE WITH NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE LABEL AFFIXED. A POSTEXPERIMENTAL IDENTITY QUESTIONNAIRE INDICATED THAT THE ATTRIBUTIONS OF IDENTITIES WAS SUCCESSFUL. FINDINGS CLEARLY INDICATE THAT THE IMPUTED LABELS INFLUENCED INTERACTIONS IN THE DIRECTIONS EXPECTED: CREDITIZED SUBJECTS EXHIBITED SIGNIFICANTLY MORE TASK-ORIENTED ACTS AND FEWER POWER-GRANTING AND TENSION-INDICATING BEHAVIORS AND HAD MORE OF THEIR ARGUMENTS INCLUDED ON THE TEAM SHEET THAN DID STIGMATIZED SUBJECTS. SINCE SUBJECTS WERE UNAWARE OF THE IDENTITIES IMPUTED TO THEM, SOME ASPECTS OF THE NORMAL'S BEHAVIOR APPARENTLY CAUSED THE DIFFERENCES NOTED BETWEEN CREDITIZED AND STIGMATIZED SUBJECTS. THE MEAN SCORE FOR CODED BEHAVIORS DURING DISCUSSION FOR STIGMATIZED AND CREDITIZED SUBJECTS AND FOR CREDITIZED AND STIGMATIZED SUBJECTS' PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR PARTNERS' REACTIONS TOWARD THEM ARE PRESENTED IN TABULAR FORM. STIGMATIZED SUBJECTS REPORTED THAT THEIR PARTNERS DID NOT UNDERSTAND THEM TO THE SAME DEGREE AS THAT REPORTED BY CREDITIZED SUBJECTS, INDICATING THAT AN ACCURATE TRANSMISSION OF EXPECTATIONS HAD TAKEN PLACE. RESULTS DEMONSTRATE THAT EVALUATIONS ENGENDERED BY AN IMPUTED DEVIANT IDENTITY CAN BE SUBTLY COMMUNICATED, AND THAT THE LABELED DEVIANT'S ACTUAL BEHAVIOR CAN BE STRUCTURED THROUGH INTERACTION IN WAYS THAT CONFIRM THE IDENTITY IMPUTATION. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (JAP)