Information exchange and accuracy of verbal communication under social power conditions.

Abstract

EXAMINED THE CONCEPT OF COMMUNICATION AND THE EFFECT OF SOCIAL STATUS ON THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS. 20 HIGH- AND 20 LOW-STATUS MEMBERS OF A SORORITY WERE PAIRED INTO ALL COMBINATIONS OF SENDERS AND RECEIVERS. SENDERS DESCRIBED GRAPHIC DESIGNS TO A RECEIVER WHO, HIDDEN FROM VIEW, ATTEMPTED TO CHOOSE THE DESIGN DESCRIBED FROM 16 ALTERNATIVES. AS PREDICTED, HIGH-STATUS RECEIVERS OBTAINED MORE USEFUL INFORMATION AND ASKED MORE CLARIFYING QUESTIONS THAN LOW-STATUS SS. AS A RESULT, HIGH-STATUS SS MADE MORE ACCURATE CHOICES THAN LOW-STATUS SS WHEN STATUS DIFFERENCES WERE MADE SALIENT. THE RESULTS INDICATE THAT STATUS DIFFERENCES AFFECT THE TYPE OF INFORMATION CONVEYED BY SENDERS AS WELL AS THE LEVEL OF ACTIVITY BY RECEIVERS. BOTH OF THESE VARIABLES INTERACT TO AFFECT ACCURACY. (21 REF.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)